The Curious Case of Sophia Doe
by Suni-Dlight
Summary: Sophia Doe has been with SHIELD since birth, quite literally. Born in the facility, raised there, SHIELD is all she has ever known and may be all she ever will know, if Fury has anything to do with it. But Sophia Doe is an Agent if ever there was one: defiant, stubborn and determined as hell to figure out what her purpose is and where she came from. NO PAIRINGS (YET).
1. Like Jane Doe

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of the MCU or its characters.**

 **A/N: I am a horrible person but this plot bunny refuses to stay in its cage. Please, read and enjoy.**

* * *

 _BZZZZZ_

 _BZZZZZ_

 _BZZ –_

"Alarm Off."

Morning Routine:

Brush teeth

Wash face

Change into Gym clothes

Run the stairwells and hallways of the facility

Hour long session in the simulator

Return to room and shower

Breakfast in the cafeteria

* * *

Sophia bit into her bagel, watching as the Agents mulled around, drinking coffee, chatting. Most knew her and they waved or nodded their heads politely.

None stopped to join her. They never did.

* * *

Afternoon Routine:

Read the paperwork

Determine the category

File in correct folder

Repeat

* * *

"How's it going over here?"

Sophia looked up at Agent Wilford, a balding, middle-aged man with a round belly and a red face. She had tried to convince Agent Coulson to throw a Christmas Party one year with Wilford as Santa but Coulson wouldn't go for it. Sophia gave him her best smile. "Same old same."

Wilford nodded, moving away from her desk. "Keep up the good work."

The smile fell as Sophia turned back to her computer, placing her chin in the palm of her hand.

* * *

Evening Routine:

Dinner in the cafeteria (avoid the mashed potatoes at all cost!)

Study

Sleep

* * *

Sophia stood in her room, dart at the ready, tongue peeking out from between her lips as she focused on the dart board in front of her. Closing her eyes, she threw the dart, only peeking at the sound of the thunk it made in the wood. Grinning, she hurried forward, running her fingers over the words she had carved into the board.

"Mythology! My favorite."

Her evening routine was probably the most interesting part of her day. Sophia had been born with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Any book, documentary, file she could get her hands on was stocked and stuffed into most of the drawers and onto most of the desks and shelves in her room, organized in a way only she could truly understand. Every evening, she'd let chance pick the topic and she'd research it, sometimes learning something new and others simply refreshing what she already knew. With no one else to talk to, she learned and she researched and she figured, one day, she'd become a walking, talking encyclopedia and she was okay with that.

This was her day, this was her routine which she had followed since she could remember, give or take a few things. It hadn't been likely, at a younger age, that she could read the complicated files she had to read or the books she chose to explore. Sometimes she had a tutor come in, keep her up to date with the curriculum she was sure other (normal) kids were studying. Back then Coulson had visited more, hadn't been as high ranking as an Agent as he was now. Every time he visited her room in the SHEILD facility, he'd bring a new book from a place he had visited, things he knew she would be interested in. When she turned 18, that's when they decided she could work, that she could be an 'Agent', though she never really felt like one.

What she felt like was a prisoner.

Sophia would never voice this. SHEILD had, after all, given her a home, named her. She didn't know much about her past expect that her mother had died in childbirth, her father not in the picture. For all she knew, she could have been born here in this facility. She was grateful….

But that didn't stop her from wanting to go on missions, from wanting to be a part of something. When she had asked Coulson once to bring her along he had given her that sad smile of his. "Director Fury thinks it would be too dangerous."

"Dangerous for me?" Sophia had asked, angry. "Or dangerous for other people."

Coulson, never one to beat around the bushed had nodded his head. "Both."

Now, staring up at the ceiling of her room, Sophia wondered what Fury thought her capable of. She was good with a bo-staff, her choice of weapon, and had good aim with a gun, though she knew it wasn't perfect. She knew multiple languages, so it wouldn't be hard to blend in. She could do espionage.

Maybe it was because of her –

Sophia sat up in bed, realizing she couldn't sleep. This would certainly throw her off in the morning but at that point she just couldn't stomach the thought of being in her room. Quickly, she changed into another set of gym clothes and set out to run the halls and stairwells again.

Her room was on the twelfth floor so she usually would jog down the stairs to the first before running the halls on each floor, making her way back up. It was late, which meant the halls were silent besides the occasional hum of a machine or a computer. Sophia breathed deeply, letting her feet carry her across the tiles, through a stairwell door and up the stairs.

Repeat.

"Routine is good," Fury had told her once during one of the infrequent times she saw him. "Routine keeps you safe."

 _Routine keeps me bored. Routine keeps me trapped. Routine keeps me_ –

Sophia's footsteps came stuttering to a stop at a sound that was unfamiliar at this time of night. She rounded a corner, finding herself outside of the gym doors, her brow narrowing in confusion. Most Agents tended to use the gym early in the morning or towards the middle the day. Then again, Sophia was never out this late so who was she to say really. Curiosity getting the best of her, she pushed open the door quietly, peeking inside.

There was a man inside, dressed in brown gym pants, a dark t-shirt stretched taut over wide shoulders. From where she stood at the door, she could see the muscles in his arms, contracting as he lay into a punching bag with determined and furious strikes. She couldn't say how long he had been down here, but he seemed to have a good rhythm already, no sweat.

He was someone Sophia didn't know and Sophia knew everyone.

She knew she should go back to her room, pretend she hadn't been spying but she stepped inside, letting the door close behind her. The echoing latch caught the man's attention and he grabbed the bag, stopping it from swinging as he turned towards her. Sophia clenched her hands together, wondering what on earth had possessed her to enter the gym; she was horrible at meeting new people. Trying her best not to make herself seem as awkward as she felt, she gave him a broad smile. "Hello."

 _Way to go, Sophia._

He nodded at her, eyes wary. "Ma'am."

Blue eyes. Muscular. Blond hair. _NEW._

"You're Steven Grant Rogers," Sophia blurted out. Every fact she knew about him ran through her brain: his birthday, his prior illnesses, his mother's maiden name, his teammates. . . All of it sat on the tip of her tongue, begging to burst from her mouth but she bit down on her bottom lip.

He gave her an amused smile. "Most people just call me Steve."

"Right. Of course."

"You got a name?" he asked, after a few moments of her fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oh! I mean yes. It's Sophia Doe. I guess they figured it would be rude to call me Jane. . . . Like Jane and John Doe," she added at his raised eyebrow. "They're names you give to someone when you can't identify them otherwise."

"Oh."

 _Real smooth, Sophia._

"I ramble when I'm nervous," she said, by way of explanation, tugging on one of her dreadlocks.

Steve met her gaze again as he unwrapped up his hands. "Why are you nervous?"

"You're amazing. The lengths you went to, where you started from. . . . Your story is incredible. . . . And I'm awkward," Sophia added when she realized he was blushing slightly.

"I've, uh, never seen you around before," Steve said in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

"I tend to keep to myself. I embarrass myself less that way." The amused grin grew slightly larger on Steve's face. Sophia returned the smile, clasping her hands behind her back. "I should let you get back to your workout."

"Isn't that what you came down here to do."

Sophia felt the smile falter on her face and she took a step back. "I'm not allow – I don't like the gym, so I just run the stairwells."

She wasn't if Steve noticed her slight slip but he didn't say anything, just nodded his head. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Doe."

"Just Sophia is fine or Sophie or Soph is sometimes what Coulson calls me. It was nice to meet you too," she inserted quickly when she felt the beginnings of another ramble. "If you're ever in the cafeteria, I usually sit in the far-right hand corner. Breakfast and dinner."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Please do!" Before she could say anything else ridiculous, Sophia eat a hasty retreat.

* * *

Steve hesitated outside of the cafeteria, not sure why he was here. Since he had woken, he tended to only travel between his room and the gym, not wanting to deal with the people staring at him though. Part of him, though, felt it would be rude to ignore Sophia Doe's invitation.

She was an odd girl, woman. She had to be in her early twenties though she acted much younger. Tall and lanky, almost fragile but lean, though he still couldn't imagine her as an agent. She seemed to be constantly nervous, if last night was any indication.

And what had she meant by 'not allowed' in the gym? He had noticed the start of that sentence that she had quickly changed but didn't want to pry, but he knew she had been about to say 'not allowed'. Surely a tiny thing like her couldn't do as much damage as he did. He had already gone through a lot of punching bags, two this week alone.

Taking a deep breath, Steve pushed the door of the cafeteria and strode in, headed straight for the food line. He could feel the stares and hear the whispers but he kept his head down, getting his food and paying the cashier at the end. He turned, his eyes roaming until he found Sophia Doe.

She was sitting, far-right hand corner just like she said she would be. She had weird hair, he remembered, like tons of kinky braids, a few dyed purple. Not a bad weird, just different from what he was used to girls' hair looking like, but it seemed to suit her. Right now, those braids were piled up on top of her head in an oversized bun, the few that she had dyed purple hanging down around her face. Her chin was propped up in the palm of her hand while her other hand stirred her oatmeal lazily with a spoon. He wondered how long she had stayed up after she had left him in the gym. She looked tired . . . but she also looked lonely. It was a resigned type of loneliness though, as if she was used to this. Steve noticed that, even though some called out her name and said hello, the Agents avoided walking in that direction.

Steve walked over to her, feeling eyes following him but he ignored it still, placing his tray on the table in front of Sophia, causing her to look up, her large, brown eyes going wide. He smiled at her as he sat down. "This seat taken?"

She shook her head, a smile slowly growing on her face. "Never."

She didn't say the word like she was sad, just as if it were a fact. He didn't want to show her pity though; as perky as she was, he didn't think she'd appreciate his pity. So instead, he dug into his food, and she went back to her oatmeal, looking a bit cheerier than she had when he first walked in. He thought maybe she just needed some company, which he figured wouldn't hurt him to have the same.

It was a start.

* * *

 **A/N: As I said, this is a plot bunny but it's turning into an incredibly big one. I have plans for this and I hope you enjoy the mystery that is Sophia Doe. I plan to update this every Saturday and, I solemly swear that I will be updating Playing with Fire (Harry Potter) and my other Marvel story as well. Thanks everyone!**


	2. Friend

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters!**

* * *

"So, what was it like to live in the 40s? Did you go dancing a lot? Drive ins? What made you want to join the army? How did you pick your Howling Commandos?"

Steve laughed from his spot behind her, following her onto the seventh level platform. "You sure do ask a lot of questions?"

Sophia stopped on the stairs above him, turning to him with her bottom lip stuck between her teeth. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Steve replied, continuing his jog up the stairs. Sophia had asked him if he wanted to join her on her morning run and he saw no reason not to. He was surprised, to say the least, when her jog led him up the staircases rather than outside. He went out into the hallway, Sophia jogging behind him. She was fast and not easily winded either. She kept a steady pace and though a sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead, she didn't seem tired.

Especially considering she could ask a lot of those questions while running.

"I don't really know how to answer that question," Steve answered as they ran the hallway. "Living in the 40s, I'd guess is no different from living today. You work hard, earn a living. . . . Lots less electronics and cars, though," he added, holding open the door to the stair well for her. "Bucky would take me out with him when he went on a date with a girl because, more often than not, she had a friend who needed a date too but we didn't do much dancing. I was too short for most of 'em. Drive ins were the same deal. I wanted to serve my country. Thought I had a duty and a right to. I choose my friends, people who I knew would have my back, who I could count on."

"I've seen a few documentaries," Sophia responded. "You all were amazing."

"Thank you. . . . So what's your story?"

Sophia didn't respond right away; she just kept running. They reached the tenth floor before she answered, "It's not a very happy story."

"Neither was mine," Steve replied.

Again, she didn't speak at first and he watched her dreadlocks (he finally knew what they were called!) bounce around in her ponytail. "My, er, my mom died when I was born, my father was never around."

"I'm sorry."

Sophia shrugged one shoulder. "You get used to it. SHIELD took me in. I think my mom was an Agent and so they have taken care of me since I was a baby."

He found that odd; Fury didn't seem like the fatherly type, but he didn't say anything about that. "You've been here ever since."

"Yep." Sophia shot him a grin over her shoulder. "Me, myself and my books."

When they reached the twelfth floor ("Dormitory level," Sophia told him), she stuttered to a halt, placing her hands on her knees. He watched as she glanced at him and then pretended to take deep, winded breaths. "Good run?"

"You done already?" Steve asked with a grin. "We've only got two more levels till the roof."

Sophia stood up straight, looking up in that direction. "I've, er, I've never been out – _up_ there before."

"No time like the present, right?" Steve started for the roof, listening for Sophia's footsteps behind him.

* * *

Sophia hesitated at the threshold, Steve holding open the door for her. The rays of the sun stopped just at the tip of her sneakers. He was watching her, curious, his head tilted to the side, the sun making his blond hair just a bit brighter. "You comin'?"

She had never been outside. Was that weird? Who was she kidding; of course it was weird. She never had reason to go outdoors, nor did she really have access to. So, any time she wanted to watch the sun set or rise, she went to the simulation room. With that room, she had traveled to many different cities without ever leaving the facility.

But that was boring, wasn't it?

Taking a deep breath, Sophia crossed the threshold and outdoors.

The first thing that registered was that it was chilly. _A chilly morning,_ like she always read in her books. A slight breeze brushed across her shoulders as she walked farther outside, towards the ledge. The sun was just rising, painting the sky red and orange and gold, the colors glinting off the buildings of the SHIELD facility and the trees.

"You okay?"

Sophia turned to look at Steve, realizing how strange she must have seemed, awestruck. She gave him a smile. "I just – this wasn't what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

She shook her head. "Nothing like this. . . . It's beautiful."

Steve smiled back. "You should come up here more often."

"I'm definitely going to."

Sophia watched as the sun rose higher in the sky. She was going to be a late today, she already knew, but, once more she couldn't find it in her to care, not with this beautiful scene in front of her. It made her feel better, somehow, finally seeing the sunrise for the first time, as if she had been renewed. She meant it when she said she was going to try and come outside more often now, screw 'clearance'. It was the roof. It wasn't like she was going to escape this way.

Turning to Steve, she grinned. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For forcing me up here."

He shrugged, still smiling. "That's what friends are supposed to do right? Force each other to try new things?"

Sophia stared at him, felt her eyes go wide. "Is that what we are? Friends?"

"I'd say so."

A friend.

Sophia had made an honest to goodness friend, and Steve had only known her for two days! She finally had someone who wasn't being forced to spend time with her because of duty or the job. That was a nice change. She still had a lot she hadn't told him (a _lot_ ), but they could work their way up to that, right?

Right.

Walking past him, Sophia tugged on her ponytail, making sure it was still tight. "Race you back downstairs?"

Steve smirked. "Second wind?"

"Second wind." With that, she shot through the door, hearing his indignant cry of 'Cheater!' as she jumped five steps to the landing, laughing.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! I want to first say, sorry for how short this chapter is. I wanted a bit of a filler so here you go. I'll be adding another chapter as well, just to make up for the shortness. Thanks to everyone who has already added this story to their favorites or are following it: , Farmgirl98, dhnysports88, 007Girl, Slyshy21, annesullivan121, katiamontoya, krose99b, and Lucifer's711! I really appreciate the response! I'd love your feedback! Thank you!**


	3. No Shouldn't Always Mean No

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

* * *

Sophia held the bo-staff in her right hand, the end pressed firmly against the ground between her feet. Taking a deep breath, she bowed forward slowly, exhaling as she turned her head to face the CGI opponent standing ten feet away from her as it bowed as well. It was male, taller than her with a heavier build, watching her with blank eyes, waiting for her to move so that the program could start.

She kicked the staff up into her left hand with her right foot, raising the staff horizontal above her head as her opponent swung its staff down on her, the vibration of the hit traveling through her arms. She lowered the staff quickly, blocking the hit that came from below before rocking back, swinging her staff to hit against the computers, in 'x' forming between them. The CGI drew back, thrusting forward. Sophia skated her left foot behind her, turning her body and knocking its staff to the right, away from her.

Spinning the staff in her right hand, Sophia backed away a few steps as the CGI advanced quickly, spinning its own staff in front of its chest. Quickly, Sophia raised up the staff again, crossing them in the middle. The CGI forced her end to the ground before adjusting and swinging the other end of its staff at Sophia's head. The girl ducked, crouching low before hopping into the air as the CGI followed her down, swinging at her again. It turned fluidly, thrusting at her again before she could gain her balance. Grunting, Sophia blocked inside, glaring at the computer.

"You're on your Ps and Qs today, aren't you?" she muttered.

"Simulation 4-UPJ activated," the CGI answered, its voice echoing around the room.

"Yea, yea."

The CGI disappeared before reappearing ten feet away. It rose its staff high, running towards her. Sophia stood up straight, holding her palm out in front of her.

Eight feet.

"Come on," Sophia muttered.

Five feet.

"I can _do this._ Come _on."_

Two feet.

This was going to hurt.

The CGI swung its staff at Sophia's head and she braced herself for impact, not having enough time to block the incoming hit.

The CGI disappeared and Sophia let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She turned, her eyes on the observation window as the light flickered on. She smiled widely at the person inside. "You saved me a trip to infirmity."

Coulson gave her that small smile, pressing the intercom button. "You would have gotten out of that somehow."

Pressing a button on the grip, the ends of the staff collapsed into the middle and she attached it to a clip at her side as Coulson came out of the observation room, hands in his pockets. Sophia pulled the ponytail holder from her hair, feeling the dreads flop down around her shoulders. She grinned. "I got to meet your hero."

"So I heard. How'd that go for you?"

Of course he had heard. Sophia tried not to let that get to her. "We had breakfast together, went on a run. . . . He's very down to earth. How'd your mission go?"

The smile fell from Coulson's face as he crossed his arms. "Not well."

Sophia tilted her head. "Is that why you're here?"

Coulson took a slow breath, nodding his head. "We were attacked by an Asgardian. A few of our agents have been . . . compromised. Barton was one of them."

"I'm sorry about Barton. I like him." She wouldn't say she knew the archer well but he was nice. He never avoided her like other Agents did.

"We'll get him back. Romanoff will be sure we do."

"I'm sure. You said an Asgardian? Like Thor?" When Thor had landed in New Mexico the year before, the file had come across her desk, prompting Sophia to delve deeper into Norse Mythology. She knew a lot about the Asgardian, but, like most myths, you could never honestly tell what was real and what wasn't. Another Asgardian on Earth might draw Thor back here. She'd love to learn what facts she could separate into fiction.

"His brother, to be exact."

"What does he want? What did he take?"

"What does any megalomaniac with a god complex want? As for what he took – that's classified."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "You can tell me damn near everything else but that one little detail –"

"The Directors' pulling a team together to go after him and I'm escorting Captain Rogers."

Sophia crossed her arms, trying to keep the hope from coming to her face. "Phil – why are you here? In this room?"

Phil met her eyes and she could already hear the denial coming. "Sophia –"

"Do I get to come this time?"

"Soph –"

"I've gotten so much better, Phil! I've been practicing."

"You almost got your head smashed in by the CGI."

"But you saw my bo-staff work, right? I'm good, I can handle a mission."

"It's against the Director's orders."

Sophia felt the anger welling inside of her and she did her best to tamper it but it wasn't working. "The Director's orders are to keep me prisoner."

"Now you know that's not true."

"Isn't it? I'm not allowed to go on missions, I'm not allowed in the gym, Agents aren't really allowed to spend time with me. I'm tired of feeling useless."

"What you do for SHIELD is important, Sophia."

"I'm a glorified secretary."

"You keep things organized. Wilford wrote in his report that you are diligent and hardworking."

"Apparently that's not enough to earn some trust. All I've ever known are these walls, Coulson. I'm twenty-three years old and the closest I've ever gotten to the outdoors is this stupid simulation room!"

"It's for your own safety."

"That's not true! I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself! Fury keeps me locked away because he's scared I'm going to hurt others! It's not fair! I'm – not – _dangerous!_ "

Behind Coulson, the observation window cracked, spider webbed fractures traveling through the glass. Sophia's eyes widened as her hands flew to her mouth, eyes jumping from the window to Coulson, who hadn't even turned to inspect the damage. He was watching her, that same damn, small knowing smile on his face, a bit of sadness in his eyes and she thought she saw, though she hoped not, a bit of apprehension. "Calm down."

The shock of the window cracking had already shaken most of Sophia's anger but she still took a deep breath, counting backwards from ten in her head. When she was finished, she could feel the tears starting to pool in her eyes. She looked back to Coulson. "I'm not dangerous," she whispered, though she was sure it didn't sound nearly as convincing as she wanted it to.

Coulson reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, you're not. But we still don't know what all you can do and until we can figure that out, it's best if we keep you off the heavy hitters for now."

Sophia hastily swiped at her tears, crossing her arms again. She wanted to ask when they were going to figure it out. They called it a mutation, knew they had taken blood to test, but when she would have been young enough to send to Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (oh, you can bet Sophia had certainly done her research), they hadn't sent her. Now she was older with out of control 'gifts' that she didn't understand and no one to teach her.

And she really was quite a mess.

Coulson dropped his hand. "I came down here because I wanted to check in on you. You are very talented with that," he added, gesturing to the weapon attached to her belt.

"Thank you," Sophia mumbled.

He must have suspected that he wasn't going to get anywhere else with her because he sighed, nodding his head. "We're heading out in about two hours. Maybe you can find the Captain and say bye."

Sophia shook her head. "Do you think Wilford will be angry if I take a day off? I'm not feeling very well."

They both knew it was a lie. Sophia had never once been sick in her entire life. The one time she broken a bone, it healed within a couple of days. Still Coulson nodded his head. "You've never taken a day off. I don't think one's going to hurt."

"Great. Be safe," she added with a smile that she didn't feel as she left the simulation room, not looking back.

* * *

A half hour later found Sophia laying on her bed, showered and changed, Wilford already alerted to her absence from work. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about her conversation with Coulson, the cracked mirror. . . . Maybe the Director was right. Maybe she was dangerous. That hadn't even been the worst of what she could do, she knew; imagine being a cranky toddler with that amount of power. Maybe she wasn't capable.

No.

Sophia sat up in bed, her eyes moving to the collapsed bo-staff sitting on her desk. So, okay, she didn't have control of – well, whatever it was she had, but she was good. She had been trained as an Agent, trained herself using all the test they used at the Academy of Operations. She was smart and she was strong; she could fight. Let's say that Thor didn't come back to handle his brother, was Steve going to have to take care of Loki by himself? As strong as Steve was, Asgardians considered themselves gods. She had seen the footage of Thor and his friends and that machine, the Destroyer. Surely Steve couldn't be expected to handle this on his own.

Of course not!

Because Sophia was going to be right there with him.

She scurried off her bed, grabbing her bo-staff and clipping it onto her belt before pulling her dreads into a ponytail. Fury would understand, she told herself as she stuffed her uniform and extra clothes into a backpack along with some books on Norse Mythology. She was helping. Even if they didn't let her fight, she probably knew more about the gods than anyone else did. They were going to need her.

The only thing left to figure out was how to get aboard the jet with Steve and Coulson without them noticing her.

"Piece of cake," Sophia mumbled as she left her room. There weren't any agents currently on the dormitory level but she knew the lower levels would be filled with activity as people prepared to leave for Helicarrier.

She jogged down the stairs, avoiding the hallways until she reached the garage. Quickly and quietly, she pushed open the door and slipped inside, ducking down by the closest supply boxes. Agents were darting back and forth between a quinjet and the garage. Sophia peeked over the boxes, watching as Coulson and Steve walked towards the quinjet. Sophia grinned; she could almost see the tension in Coulson's shoulders. He must have been so excited to be standing next to Captain America.

"Thompson!" a voice yelled, startling Sophia. She looked over to another agent who was gesturing to the boxes closet to the plane. "These ones good?"

"All checked!" Thompson answered back. "Load them up!"

Checking the area, Sophia darted forward, staying hunched. She reached another box, closer to the quinjet, one of the ones Thompson declared 'checked'. Quickly, Sophia opened the crate as much as she dared and climbed inside, berating herself for not checking the label as she hunkered down in the packing fiber and weapons she didn't recognize, the lid closing and concealing her in darkness. She pulled one out from under her and held it on her lap, running her fingers over it. It was too dark to really inspect what she was assuming was a gun but she didn't think about it too much as her crate was jostled, a feeling a weightlessness overcoming her as a forklift lifted her up, driving towards the quinjet.

Sophia's heart beat in nervous anticipation, her fingers tapping against the weapon and her backpack. This wasn't a mistake, she ensured herself. A smile grew on her face. She was going to leave the base. She was going to see the outside world.

She was going to be free.

* * *

 **A/N: So, second chapter for you today! Another will be posted next week. It's so weird because this story and Glitch are basically set in the same time period, though, obviously, Glitch doesn't exist in this world and Sophia doesn't exist in that one. Where Sophia differs from Glitch though, is in her experience. She is obviously naïve and she lacks the confidence that I have given to Glitch. Whereas Glitch grew up taking care of herself, Sophia grew up very sheltered and I hope that comes across! Thanks again for reading! I'd love your feedback.**


	4. Unknown

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

* * *

What the hell had she been thinking?

Sophia's heart clenched as her crate was jostled, carrying, she assumed towards the storage unit in the Helicarrier. There was no way she was going to get out of this without being caught. If they checked the crates before unloading, Fury would have her on the first quinjet back with a demotion and probably orders to keep her locked in her dorm. If she managed to stay hidden in the crate all the way onto the Helicarrier, what was she going to do? Approach Fury right away and offer to help?

Either way, Fury was going to be, well furious.

Sophia could hear voices as the crate continued to rock but couldn't decipher what they were saying. She thought she heard the roar of the Helicarrier preparing for lift off. Sophia tried to keep her breathing calm and steady but God was she nervous.

The minutes ticked by slowly as the crate was jostled and shaken. Surely, it didn't take this long to carry and deposit her in the storage bay, right? Sophia froze, clenching her backpack as the movement stopped, holding in a gasp when it was suddenly dropped down with a _THUNK_ on a metal floor. This was it, she realized as the latches were released, the lid slowly lifted open.

Sophia blinked at the light, trying to adjust her eyes, recognizing that she wasn't staring at a roof she assumed would be a storage roof. Where had they taken her?

"You might as well come out," Coulson called. "We know you're in there."

She winced, fingers curling tighter around the fabric of her backpack. "How?"

"Weight was off. Plus, image scanners."

Taking a deep breath, Sophia moved the weapon off her lap and carefully stood up, clambering out the box. She took a moment to look around, knowing she probably should focus but not finding it in her too. This must be the bridge. There were computers everywhere, Agents all staring at her, but she ignored them all in favor of admiring the tech. And then her eyes caught sight of the windows, the big, glorious windows with the very real clouds outside.

Outside.

She had made it.

She was outside of the facility.

Someone cleared their throat and Sophia dragged herself back to reality, holding her backpack to her chest as she met Coulson and Steve's amused gazes. She gave them a sheepish smile. "What excuse will you accept?"

Coulson shook his head. "Nothing good enough."

"Agent Doe." Slowly, Sophia turned to face Director Fury, who was indeed furious. She never could understand how someone with one eye could glare so effectively. You would think that the effect would be diminished but somehow, Fury managed to get by.

Sophia raised her shoulders, trying to project meekness and innocence, even though she knew that wouldn't save her, and muttered a quiet, "Oops?"

Fury crossed his arms. "'Oops' doesn't even begin to cover it."

* * *

Sophia sat on the cot in her cell, glaring at the wall across from her. Apparently, it would have taken too much time and effort to send Sophia with an Agent back to the facility and Fury need all hands on deck. That meant that Sophia would spend the remainder of the mission in the detention level, like she was nothing more than a common criminal.

Like she was a threat.

"Well, you did disobey orders and stowaway on a government vessel," Coulson had muttered matter-of-factly on their way to her cell.

She just wanted to help, she had said, but she knew now that that wasn't completely true. She wanted to see what was so great outside of the walls. She wanted to feel real wind across her face and through her hair, real sun against her skin.

She wanted to be treated like a normal person, though she knew she wasn't.

When she heard footsteps, she turned her glare in that direction, knowing who was coming to bother her. "Does this prove it then?"

Fury stopped in front of her bars, hands in the pockets of his long coat. "Prove what?"

"That I am a prisoner of SHIELD." She knew she was being petty but she wanted to know why. Why couldn't she leave the base? Why didn't they trust her on her own?

Fury didn't berate her by telling her what she did was wrong or how in the wrong she was. He took a deep breath. "You've never been a prisoner, Doe. You are an Agent of SHIELD and just like any other Agent, you are expected to follow orders and protocol."

"I have followed orders, I _always_ follow orders. I spent _twenty-three years of my life_ following your stupid orders!"

"A life that you owe to SHIELD, to the foundation that raised you."

"You aren't my parents! I didn't ask you to keep me!"

"Where else were you going to go, Sophia? We were as good as you were going to get."

The words stung as if she had been slapped. She had made Fury irritated before, annoyed, but he was obviously very pissed with her, to talk to her like that. She decided to not let that deter her, not this time. If he could be an asshole, then Sophia could stay angry. She rose from her seat, wrapping her fingers around the bars. "Why not send me to live with the other mutants? I'm a burden, aren't I? Isn't that why you keep me locked away? Why not let me have a life? You made me an Agent but don't treat me like one. I deserve to know. I deserve to be given a chance to help."

"And you will help, by staying in this cell."

Sophia noticed that Fury avoided all her questions and she tightened her grasp on the bars, glaring at him. "These can't keep me in here. You know that."

Fury quirked an eyebrow. "Are you threatening to become a threat?"

"I'm not a threat!" Sophia cried out, tears building in her eyes again, hitting her hands against the bars. "I'm not dangerous!"

"Then don't act like it. You'll stay in here until we are back at the base. Then we can discuss what you'll be doing to make up for your disregard of authority." With that, Fury turned and left her alone.

Taking a few deep breaths, Sophia unfurled her hands and plopped down on her bed, pressing her fingers into her eyes, ignoring the now bent metal bars.

* * *

Steve watched all of this in one of the monitors on the bridge. "How – how did she do that?"

"Sophia's sort of – strong," Coulson answered.

"'Sort of'? She bent those bars like they were made of tinfoil."

"You should have seen her handler's face when she'd break her denser toys."

Steve stared at the fragile girl sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around her legs, face pressed against her knees. "What is she?"

Coulson shook his head, crossing his arms. "An Unknown, which is just a simple way to say we have no clue. We've tested her blood dozens of times but she doesn't have the X gene. Her blood proved mostly normal."

"Mostly?"

"There were – a few discrepancies."

"I'll say. What about her parents?" Steve knew he probably didn't have a right to ask all these questions, things Sophia herself didn't even seem to know. He was curious though, wondered how it was possible for a girl who couldn't weigh more than a buck twenty to crush metal bars in her hands. This explained why she wasn't allowed in the gym.

"Her mother was a civilian SHIELD picked up after we heard she was claiming to have had some sort of Alien encounter."

Steve raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?"

"We don't take chances, Captain Rogers." Steve and Phil turned as Director Fury came back on the bridge. He walked past them to stare at the monitors, at Sophia. "Especially when her mother started showing interesting signs during her pregnancy. Unnatural healing, glowing blue. . . . She was seven months pregnant when we picked her up and by that time, she had nearly destroyed her apartment building during her more – hormonal outbursts. We monitored her, noted the signs but she passed away when Sophia was born. Babysitting isn't something SHIELD is normally known for. Had this been any other situation, we would have found her a home but Sophia could create force fields around herself when she cried. When she turned three, she created a cat out of thin air and when it disappeared, she threw her handler across the room with a scream."

"And you still can't figure out how?"

Coulson and Fury exchanged a glance. "We have some suspicions," Coulson answered.

"So, you treat her like a criminal until you understand her," Steve supplied with a frown.

"Contrary to what Sophia may think, she is very dangerous," Fury answered. "Her abilities are uncontrollable, especially during highly stressful times. I can't knowingly risk the lives of Agents or civilians by letting her run rampant."

Steve glared at the screen for a second before turning his gaze on the Director. "I don't know about you, but that doesn't look like a girl that's going to 'run rampant'."

"What does she look like to you?"

"A girl who just wants answers. And maybe someone not ordering her around all the time to talk to." Steve grabbed a bottle of water an Agent had given him and walked off the bridge.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find the detention level, not with people eager to please. Nor was it hard to find Sophia's cell. He could hear her crying, muffled as it was. He stopped in front of the bars and wrapped his hand around one of bent bars. There was a slight imprint of her hand, smaller than his own, the fingers slimmer, but if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have never thought that someone as slight as Sophia could have done this.

"I don't want another lecture," Sophia mumbled, her face still pressed against her knees, dreadlocks loose and dangling around her head to just above her ankles like a curtain.

"Fresh out of those," Steve said, causing her to look up. "I've got a bottle of water though."

He held it out to her through the bars. Hesitantly, Sophia got up and took it from him, whispering a 'thank you'. As she returned to sit on her cot, he leaned back against the wall across from her cell. Again, he wondered why he was down here, with her, for her. He still didn't even really know the girl and he couldn't say that one breakfast made them friends, but looking at her now, he knew she could use someone like him, someone who didn't know her or the supposed damage she might have caused. With a small smile, he gestured at the bars. "That's some hit you have."

Sophia choked out a laugh, taking a sip of water as the corner of her mouth tilted up. "Subtle."

"I've never been very good at that. . . . Have you always been that strong?"

"As long as I can remember. . . . It's, er, one of my mutations."

Steve didn't really know what that meant, just as he hadn't been completely sure what an X-Gene was but it was obviously something that affected a person's DNA, just like the serum did to him. "One of?"

Sophia shrugged one shoulder. She dragged a finger across her sheets, avoiding his eyes. "I can do some other things but I can't always control them. I heal quickly and, I can, very rarely, create, like, shields. Barriers, I guess. And, equally very rarely, I can move things with my mind. That's the part that's . . . that's dangerous. I've broken things when I get angry or scared, hurt people. That's why I'm not allowed to use the gym equipment. That's why I'm not allowed to leave the facility. That's - that's why no one will come near me. They're all scared of me."

Steve moved closer to the bars and Sophia seemed to shrink back, trying to make herself as small as possible. He squatted down a bit so that he could look her in the eye, so that she could know he was serious. "You don't look that scary to me. I'm not going anywhere, Sophie."

And he found he meant it. He could understand what she was going through in a way. When he first became Captain America, people wanted to be around him but not for the reasons he would have liked. They wanted to study him, they wanted something from him, they wanted everything he or his fame could do for him. It got lonely, being surrounded by all those people with not a friend in sight. And now here he was, in a place he didn't recognize, again surrounded by people who thought they knew him and out of all those people, Sophia was the first to really talk to him and that meant something to him.

Even if it was just a simple invite to breakfast.

" **PAGING CAPTAIN ROGERS TO THE BRIDGE. CAPTAIN ROGERS TO THE BRIDGE."**

"You were saying?" Sophia asked. There were still tears in her eyes but Steve thought she looked a bit happier than when he had first come to visit, a small smile on her face.

Steve shook his head, standing up straight. "I'll be back to check on you. I promise, alright?"

Sophia bit her bottom lip, looking unsure, as if she didn't trust him, but then she nodded. "Alright."

He nodded back before he left her, headed back to the bridge.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello all! Thanks for waiting so patiently for this chapter! I would really love to get your feedback and what you like (or don't like) about this story and Sophia. Thanks! S/o to new readers: Robyn-in-the-air, walters1, and Evaline101. Thanks!**


	5. You're Actually Thor!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Sophia had no clue what was going on.

It had been hours since Steve had left the detention level and no one would tell her what was going on. Besides what Coulson had told her before she had the ridiculous notion to stowaway on the mission, she hadn't the foggiest idea as to what was happening. What did he mean by Barton being compromised? Why did Loki attack the facility? What was his plan? There were no windows where she was so she couldn't imagine what time it was. She knew she fell asleep for a moment, woken up and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a clean shirt, and, maybe an hour or so ago, the Helicarrier had landed. She could sort of hear the flurry of activity above her but that could mean anything.

She stood up and moved to the bars as the doors at the end of the hall opened. There were footsteps, more than there would normally be if it were just Fury or Coulson or Steve. The first pair of Agents appeared, suited to the nines in tactical gear, guns pointed to the ground. Then a second pair.

And then a man.

He was tall, and she thought maybe lanky, though the interesting outfit made him look bulkier. He looked as if he were going to some sort of Comic Convention. He was so . . . dark – all greens and golds and blacks, his hair slicked back curling at the ends slightly, his hands bound behind his back.

The Asgardian.

Loki.

He stopped suddenly, causing the Agents behind him to stutter to a halt as well. He turned his head slowly, until his icy blue gaze met hers, confusion and then interest sparking across his eyes. A slow smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. "Well hello."

Sophia jerked back away from the bars as the Agents behind him (three more pairs, making ten guards in total; ten for this one man!) pressed their hands against his back making him move him. She watched his eyes dash across the bent bars before darting back up to meet hers again, still smirking. Sophia backed up until the backs of her knees hit her cot.

What the hell was that?

* * *

Thor watched as the two men (scientists like Jane) left the area to go experiment on Loki's scepter. The Captain left as well, along with the woman with the red hair, Natasha Romanoff. Many of the other men and women left behind turned back to their giant screens, fingers clicking along buttons. Thor's eyes flickered back to the screens on the tables, where Loki stood still in his glass cage. His brother stood, confident and calm, which Thor absolutely did not like. His brother wasn't known for not having a plan, but, at this stage, Thor couldn't tell what it was. His gaze then moved to the screen next to his brother's, which showed the whole of the level where Loki was. The girl he had seen earlier, the one who had caught Loki's attention, was sitting on the bed provided for, arms wrapped loosely around her knees. Thor caught sight of the bars that were bent outward from her cell. Had Loki done that somehow?

Why was this girl in a cell anyway? She was a meek little thing. Surely she couldn't warrant such treatment. Thor watched as the Captain appeared on screen, leaning against the wall next to the cell, talking to the girl. She was happier with him there, Thor saw, and he wondered just how often she received visitors.

"Son of Coul," Thor called out, gesturing for the Agent to come over.

"Just – Coulson is fine," the man said as he approached. "How can I help you?"

"This girl. . . . Why is she imprisoned? Who is she?"

"We were actually hoping you could tell us," the one called Fury responded, coming to stand on his other side.

Thor frowned. "I do not understand."

Fury reached forward and touched something on the screen, bringing the girl's face closer. She must have heard something where she was, because she stopped her conversation with the Captain, looked up at the camera and glared, sticking her tongue out. Fury scoffed, shaking his head. "Meet Sophia Doe."

"Her name is unfamiliar to me."

"It would be, but she might be familiar in other ways. She has – abilities, things that she can do that remind us of – well him," he explained, gesturing to Loki's image.

Thor turned to the one-eyed man, frowning. "She has magic? That is impossible for you Midgardians."

"What if she wasn't Midgardian? Not completely."

"You think her to be of Asgard? That is – unlikely. It has been many, many years since Asgardians came to Midgard and . . . associated with mortals. There may traces of Aesir blood, but it wouldn't be enough for her to produce magic."

"Her father was described as 'otherworldly' and 'god-like', alien. Seems to really fit the bill concerning Asgardians. Until a year ago, when you crossed our paths, we would have never really thought of this possibility. You know nothing about one of yours coming to earth maybe twenty-three years ago?" Coulson asked.

Thor shook his head. "I would not know. It is not like we keep track of all Aesir. Many do as they please. . . . Unless –"

"Unless?"

"There was a man I once knew," Thor explained. "A curious fellow, Trond. He was more concerned with exploring, reading and learning magic than he was with learning the ways of battle and glory, but he still fought. He died in a glorious battle, a decade ago. If any Asgardians secretly made their way to Midgard to consort with mortals, it would be him."

"Maybe you can meet Sophia," Coulson suggested. "See what you think."

"I do not know how much good I will do. Loki would be better suited at this. He is able to see magical traces, signatures. If this girl really has magic as you say, he would be able to distinguish her as an Aesir."

"I'm afraid I don't see the benefits in letting an Unknown come in contact with your psychotic brother," Fury responded. "No offense."

Thor frowned but he looked back at the screen, at Sophia. "I will meet her."

* * *

Thor stood in front of the cell containing the girl, Sophia Doe, who stared up at him with wide brown eyes, mouth agape. The Captain had left the level before Thor arrived but the Asgardian thought he knew why the other man might have taken a liking to her. She was a pretty girl, her – interesting black and purple hair twisted up on top of her head, light brown skin, delicate features, but, more than that, there was an air of innocence to her, something calm. Smiling, he sat down on the ground, crossing his legs. "Hello."

"You're Thor," she said, moving from her cot to the floor as well. "Like, the actual Thor. Like God of Thunder, Thor."

"And you are Lady Sophia," Thor responded, bowing his head. "It is nice to meet you."

"Oh, I'm, er, not a Lady," she told him. "I'm just – I'm just Sophia. Did you come down here to speak to Loki?"

"To you actually. Your friend Coulson believed you may want to speak to me."

Sophia's eyes lit up like beacons and that's when he thought he saw it. Trond would get the same look in his eye when he found a book he thought he might enjoy. "Well, I – I do have a few questions."

"By all means," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Sophia took a breath and – "Why are you here? Why is Loki here? _How old are you_? Do you really have fourteen names? What are the Warriors Three like? How many battles have you won? Is Sif as badass as she seems? Aren't you two married? Isn't Sif supposed to have gold hair? The pictures I saw from Puento Antiqua, if that was her, her hair was darker than mine. Do you really have all those children? Does Loki have multiple animal children like it says in the stories? How do you call your Hammer? Is it like magnets like Steve has or –"

Thor laughed aloud. She had a great spirit about her! Energetic and curious was a formidable combination. "I believe that is more than a few questions."

She bit down on her bottom lip. "I'm sorry."

"No, it is fine. You remind me of a Midgardian woman I know."

"Jane Foster." When Thor met her eye, she looked sheepish. "One of my jobs is to read paperwork and her name came up a lot in your case. She's beautiful," she added.

Thor gave her a small smile. "Yes. And she'll be furious when she learns that I came to Midgard and could not see her."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you."

His smile widened. "I'll hope you'll forgive me for I must tell you that many of your Migardian stories about me and my brother are false. The only truth lies in my battles and Lady Sif is truly 'badass'. As far as to why Loki is here . . . He has stolen an artifact that belongs in Asgard, the tesseract, and he fancies himself a ruler. Unfortunately, he has set eyes on your realm."

"And you're here to take him home."

"Indeed. . . . May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"I have heard you can do amazing things." He gestured up at the bars. "Almost like magic."

"Oh, it isn't magic," Sophia explained. "On Midgard it's called a Mutation. It's a gene that leads to an exotic protein and that protein produces chemical signals that include mutations on others genes which becomes a mutant organism which leads to my abilities. It's, er, in my blood," she explained at Thor's confused look.

"Ah," Thor responded. He looked into her eyes, giving her a sly smile. "Magic runs in the blood as well."

Before Sophia could respond, the doors at the end of the hallway, Loki's room, opened and Natasha Romanoff came striding out. She noticed him, and gestured with a crook of her finger. "Come with me. We have to find the others."

"Did my brother say anything?" Thor asked, rising to his feet.

Natasha glanced at Sophia. "I'll explain upstairs."

She started off and Thor turned back to Sophia, who had stood up as well. He gave her a soft smile. "Next time, Lady Sophia, I will answer your questions and you can explain to me more about your Magic."

He held out his hand and Sophia reached through the bars to place her hand in his. He brushed his lips against her knuckles before he followed the fiery red-head.

"Wait!" Sophia cried out. "You never said how old you were."

Thor chuckled. "I am over a thousand years old!" he called over his shoulder before the doors slid shut behind him.

* * *

Sophia sat on her cot, jiggling her foot, biting her nails. It had been ten minutes since Thor (over a thousand years old!) had left but she couldn't shake their conversation.

Magic?

No.

No, that didn't make sense. It was a mutation, she had a mutation. Magic didn't exist on earth, not really. Everything on earth was scientifically proven: How Steve became Captain America, how Banner became the Hulk, how mutants became mutants. Sophia was born on earth, Sophia was a mutant. Fury would have told her if –

No, he wouldn't have. They had done those tests on her blood ages ago. If she were a mutant, they would have sent her to Charles Xavier.

Could it be possible? Did she have -

Magic?

 _BOOM!_

Sophia braced her hands against the wall as the whole Helicarrier shook fiercely. Alarms blared and Sophia rushed to her feet, pressing against the bars. "Hello! What's happening?!"

Nothing.

A roar echoed through the plane.

"Shit, Banner," Sophia gasped.

Whatever was happening was complete and utter chaos. Over the Hulk's roars, she could hear people shouting, gun fire. Who was attacking them? Not five minutes after another explosion, the doors at the end of the hallway opened and Sophia watched as Thor went flying, actually flying, right past her cell towards Loki's room. "What's happening?!"

He disappeared into the room. "Loki!"

The doors slid shut again and Sophia groaned, before taking a step back. Raising a foot, she began to kick at the bars, watching them bend. "Let. Me. Out!"

"Stay in!" Sophia looked up as Coulson came running in. He was holding one of the giant guns from the crate she had hid in, frowning at her. "The Hulk's running wild, Loki's men are everywhere. You stay in there until you get the all clear."

"I can help!"

"Not this time," Coulson told her. He went running into Loki's room as well.

"Coulson! PHIL!" Sophia screamed in frustration. She slid her fingers into her hair, tugging. "Damn it!"

Sophia was getting sick and tired of being told what to do. Raising her foot, she kicked the bars again.

Stay put.

 _Kick!_

Don't get involved.

 _Kick!_

Stay out of it.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia fixed her stance, shaking her head. "Not this time."

With one last kick, the cell door flew off, clattering to the ground. Sophia was out and moving before it settled, running through the doors into Loki's room.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Here's the next installment :) Thanks for reading! I'd really appreciate some feedback from you all if it's not to much trouble! S/O to new readers: walters1, BadWolfSonnets, and rach-florance!**


	6. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

* * *

Sophia gripped her collapsed staff in one hand (begrudgingly thanking Fury for leaving it with her) as she walked in, her other hand held out at the ready. The Asgardians were nowhere in sight. There was a large empty space in the middle of the room where she assumed Loki had been held, a giant, glowing hot hole in the wall –

And Phil –

"Phil!" Sophia crouched down next to her friend, her hands hovering over him. There was so much blood and Phil sounded as if he were having trouble breathing. "What – what do I do?"

"I – I told you to – stay put," Coulson gritted out.

"Are we going to argue about this now?" Sophia hissed. "You're bleeding!"

"Hadn't noticed."

Ignoring him, Sophia pulled her light jacket off, wadding it up into a ball. "'Apply direct pressure on the cut or wound with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze until bleeding stops.'" she mumbled, trying to recall any and all health books she might have studied though there weren't many.

"Soph –"

"Do you have a radio on you? Your earpiece? Anything?"

"Sophie –"

"All I have to do is apply pressure until we can get a doctor here to – to. . . ." She knew the wound was deep, through and through. She could already see the blood pooling on the ground underneath him. What could a doctor do?

Coulson wrapped a hand around her wrist. She was shaking, she realized. In her head, she held, what she considered, a library. Everything was properly placed and categorized neatly on shelves, easily accessible. All she had to do was blink and she could list nearly every animal and plant and categorize them (alphabetically). She could name all of the most popular movies from the 1950s and tell you which Presidents had affairs and with whom. . . . But she didn't know how to deal with this, with the fact that her friend was lying here dying. He gave her that small smile and Sophia shook her head, her eyes burning. "I don't know what to do."

"Run. Get somewhere safe. Find the Captain."

"I can't just –"

Footsteps and gunshots rang out in the hallway closest to them. Sophia knew she couldn't just run. She was an Agent of SHIELD and she had a duty to protect people.

Even if she had never done it before.

"I'm going to fix this," she told Phil.

"Sophia –"

"I'll send someone to help you. I'll distract Loki long enough to keep him from getting away. I can do this."

Phil stared up at her, just for a moment, before he nodded. "The Agents – with blue eyes. You can't trust them."

Nodding, Sophia leaned forward, just enough to gently press her forehead against Coulson's shoulder. She had known him for as long as she could remember, he had been her closest friend. This might be the last time they spoke. Phil might –

Not the time to think about that. If Loki was on the move, he'd be headed for the hanger to meet whoever was going to take him to wherever he was trying to go. Sophia needed to beat them there. Standing to her feet, she squeezed Coulson's hand one last time before moving over to a grate covering the ventilation shaft. This would be the fastest and quickest way to make it to the hanger without running into anyone dangerous.

She could do this.

* * *

Loki followed the four agents in front of him, heading to where their plane was awaiting him, gripping the staff in his hand as he surveyed the damage. The fortress was in shreds, his enemies fallen. He could no longer hear the monster so he assumed the green beast must have been done away with as well as his meddling brother. All that left were the man of iron, the soldier, and Natasha Romanoff.

"Where is Barton?" Loki asked as the doors in front of them slid open.

"We lost him sir," one of the agents closest to him responded.

"Shame." No matter. Barton had accomplished all he had needed of him. He had an entire army at the ready to lead. He could do without one archer.

"Sorry!" Loki and his agents came to a halt as the pilot of their jet came tumbling down the ramp, not moving once he hit the bottom. The Asgardian watched amused as the girl from the cell appeared in the opening, looking worried and sheepish. When she saw him, however, she straightened up, trying to project confidence but he could read the fear in her eyes.

"I'm glad you managed to join us," he told her as the four agents around him aimed their guns in her direction.

The girl pointed her staff (interesting choice of weapon; meant to protect and defend, sometimes harm rather than kill) at him, frowning. She was no warrior, dressed very simply in denim pants and a cloth shirt, her knotted and twisted hair piled on top of her head, but her eyes were fierce, determined. "Loki of Asgard, by order of SHIELD, I demand that you release your hold on these agents and return to your cell."

Loki chuckled, clapping his hands slowly. It had its desired affect; he saw her hands tighten around her staff but, more importantly, he could feel the magic building up around her, reflecting her anger.

Oh yes, he had noticed. When he first walked by her cell, he felt it, powerful enough to make its presence known. Trond, that foolish man, must have made his way to Midgard and begot this – interesting creature. Loki could tell that she had no clue the power that lay beneath her skin, just waiting to be accessed. "That was adorable. Who is this girl?" he asked of the man next to him.

"Sophia Doe, sir," the man answered.

"She has been with your group long?"

"Since birth, sir. I don't know very much about her," the agent admitted, sounding ashamed. "Fury has kept her locked away in a SHIELD facility near the Academy."

"Interesting."

"Loki of Asgard!" Sophia Doe started again, louder, angrier. "By order of SHIELD, I –"

"Kill her," Loki interrupted once more.

Her eyes widened as the agents, men she knew, raised their guns and fired.

None of the bullets even reached her.

The smirk on Loki's face widened at the sight of her magic, flaring up in front of her, saving her from harm. It was a shield of sorts, bright blue, glowing, protecting her just like her staff, like the organization she claimed allegiance to; it was almost poetic really.

Sophia had turned her body, almost curled in on herself in preparation for dying, eyes closed but now she faced them again, looking down at her hands. A slight smile came to her face as her gaze dashed across the agents. "Let's make this even."

With a flick of her hands, the guns were yanked away from the agents. Quick as a flash, Sophia ran forward, spinning her staff in her hand. The agents ran to meet her, but Sophia was clearly very skilled. Loki stepped back to watch, her staff moving in a blur. She was careful, aware of her strength, even as she cracked the metal poll against hips and knees, avoiding head shots. It was enough to mame, to take them down, but left them, relatively unharmed.

Once the agents were incapacitated, Sophia turned to face him. Loki rose an eyebrow as she walked up to him, twirling her staff before placing the tip against the bottom of his chin. "Loki of Asgard, by order of SHIELD, I demand you surrender and return to your cell."

"You are an impressive little thing, aren't you?" Loki muttered, searching her eyes, looking for the right spots to hit. "Does SHIELD know how capable you are? You just took down four of their own in less than three minutes."

There it was. That brief flash of anger. _Got you._

"Loki of Asgard –"

"Why did they have you locked up in that cell, I wonder," he interrupted. "Is it because you are the most powerful one among them? Or is it because your dangerous?"

"I'm not dangerous." The response was automatic. She had made this argument before.

"Of course you're not," Loki crooned, grabbing on to that tiny piece of insecurity. "You are strong, misunderstood. . . . They don't appreciate you. They lock you away. They are _frightened of you._ All you want to do is prove yourself. I can help with that."

"You don't know anything about me," Sophia told him, but he could see her bending, could see the indecision in her eyes.

Loki took a deep breath and let it out, smiling at her. "No, I don't suppose I do. But," he said, moving her staff away from his chin, walking past her, "I do know a lot about your father."

He saw her shoulders tense and he knew he had her. She didn't move again, not even as Loki found the least injured of his agents, forcing him to his feet and shoving him in the direction of the plane. Loki followed, his boots clicking up the ramp. Stopping, he turned and faced Sophia who had straightened up, watching him. He smirked. "Are you coming?"

Two minutes. That's how long her hesitation lasted before she collapsed her staff, attaching it to her belt and following him onto the plane.

* * *

Steve picked up one of the trading cards, stained with Coulson's blood. He hadn't gotten to know the man well; their encounters had been short and far between, but he seemed like a good man. If his reaction was anything to go by, Tony had even liked Coulson and Tony didn't seem the type to warm up to people easily. Sophia seemed to trust him.

"What about Sophia?" Steve asked, setting the card down.

"As of right now," Fury responded, "her whereabouts are unknown. The only thing left behind is her bag that she brought with her. . . . She saw Coulson before she left," he added. "Tried to save him. He mentioned that she went after Loki."

Steve's heart stopped for just a moment. "Do you think he –"

"No. Not if he figured it out like Thor had. When Thor first came to Earth," Fury mumbled, noting Steve's confusion, "Coulson had a theory. Sophia's abilities were unlike any we had ever seen, so it made sense that they could be – otherworldly."

"You think she's – like them?"

"Thor said Loki could sense magic, somehow. If Sophia is Asgardian, even half, he would have been able to tell. I think that if Loki offered her answers, answers we weren't able or willing to give her, Sophia would have gone with him."

"So, because of your secrets," Steve responded, furious. "Because of the lies –"

"Doe won't defect," Fury interrupted. "She's loyal. Give her more credit."

"Maybe you should have done that first and been honest with her."

Steve got up from his seat and left the bridge. All of this, Loki coming to the earth, losing Coulson, Sophia going missing . . . it was all just as much Fury's fault as it was the Asgardian. He needed to find Stark.

They had a world to safe.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy New Year! This is a shorter chapter but I hope you like it! Thanks again to all who are reading and following this story! Be safe tonight!**


	7. Answers

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters**

* * *

Loki didn't say anything the whole way to – well, wherever they were going. Sophia tried not to watch him, keeping her eyes on her hands.

What on earth had she done?

Had she just willingly walked away with an enemy, with a _murderer?_ Tears begin to build up in her eyes. Was this the way she respected Coulson's memory? What was Steve going to think when he found out? She was going to lose one of the only friends she had ever had. . . .

"You are regretting your decision." Sophia looked up at Loki, who had finally acknowledged her. She didn't respond, simply returning her gaze to her hands. "Tell me. Would your – Director, would Fury have given you the answers you seek?"

He wouldn't have. He hadn't yet. "You still haven't given me answers either."

"All in due time, my Lady," he responded, getting to his feet.

Sophia clutched onto her safety belt as the quinjet landed. Loki stood at the bay door as the ramp lowered, casting a glance over his shoulder at her as he walked outside. She fumbled with the latch before she was free, walking slowly after him.

She found herself standing on the very top of a building; not just any building, but Stark Towers, smack dab in the middle of Manhattan. She spun on the spot, mesmerized by the sight of all the sleek, tall buildings, things she had only seen in books and – and was that the Statue of Liberty!

"Come along, Lady Sophia," Loki called.

Sophia gradually followed, still taking in her surroundings. She noted an older man, bent over a strange machine with a glowing cube inside.

The tesseract.

The man looked up as she walked past, his eyes that same eerie shade of blue. Sophia looked away and hurried into Stark's penthouse. The room was pristine, rich-looking; leather couches, large windows for viewing, a bar, bookshelves (so many books!) on the second floor. Loki leaned his staff up against the wall and turned to her, that smirk on his face. "Just look at you. You're _gorgeous_. There hasn't been anything like you in ages. How dare they let you think you were nothing more than a mutant? You are far from deformed. You are _unique._ "

Sophia crossed her arms, trying to ignore the chills running down her spine. "What am I?"

"An Aesir. An _Asgardian._ "

A startled laugh escaped Sophia as she stared at the man across from her, shaking her head. "N-no. No, you've got it all wrong, I'm sorry. I'm not an Asgardian. I've never even been to Asgard. I was born here, on earth."

"This is true," Loki responded, getting to his feet as well. "But your Father –"

Loki waved his hand and the room around Sophia seemed to disappear. She spun on the spot as spires and towers rose around her, all glinting in the light, the color of gold. There was a waterfall and two glorious moons floating above the golden city. She had never seen a place like this, not in any book, not in any movie.

"This is Asgard," Loki's voice snaked around her. "This is where you would have been raised. This is the sight you would have seen every day of your life."

The scene changed and Sophia found herself in a marvelous room, with a large four-poster bed with drapes, soft carpet underneath her feet. There was a mirror in front of her and she stared at her reflection, her dreads twisted into an elaborate braid that flowed over her shoulder, dressed in the most beautiful, purple gown, the sleeves draping over her wrist, the waist cinched by a gold rope. It was a dress pulled straight from mythology, gold ruins etched along the hems. She had never worn anything this gorgeous.

Loki appeared behind her, grinning at her in the mirror. He placed his hands on her hips, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "You would have been treated like a queen, with servants at your beck and call. Perhaps, after a while, you would have been made a goddess."

"Will I live long?" Sophia asked, her voice sounding weird to her own ears, like she was drugged. "Thor said - he's over a thousand years old."

"Hmm." Loki sounded almost curious. "Perhaps not as long as I, being half mortal as you are, but you would live a wonderfully long life. And I, I could have taught you how to control your magic early on."

Loki gently took a hold of Sophia's wrist, forcing her to hold her arm out straight with her palm down. He held his hand under hers, palm up. Sophia watched, shocked as her hand began to glow blue, matching the eerie glowing consistency of Loki's green. This had never happened before. It was scary. It was new. It was –

Beautiful.

"I'm –" Sophia stopped, cradling her hand to her chest. If Loki was telling the truth, this would explain why she could never find files on her parents. If he was telling the truth, this would explain why SHIELD had never sent her to Charles Xavier. If this was true, this would explain _everything._ But – "You're the Lie-Smith. Loki, silver tongue. Why should I believe you?"

"Now what would I possibly gain by lying to you? If anyone lied to you, it was Fury. Surely, you must have thought this, _felt it_. Even with the mortal blood that runs through your veins as well, you have a gift. You are a god! You could be so _powerful_ – after I teach you of course. We would be unstoppable."

A teacher.

The thought was appealing. She could finally learn what she could _do,_ what she was truly capable of.

"You would have been loved and adored for your talents on Asgard," Loki continued. "Maybe even feared."

"That's – that's not what I want."

"Ah. I know what you would have wanted."

Again, everything disappeared, including Loki. Sophia spun in the dark until she faced a man, who had appeared out of nowhere. He was tall and broad, with blond hair and bright blue eyes, fair skin. He was reading a book, looking so very entranced.

"He was called Trond," Loki's voice whispered, and the man across from her lifted his head, eyes widening at the sight of her. "The Wanderer, The Curious. He wasn't a great sorcerer but he had the capabilities to be one, had he kept his nose out of book and practiced. When he was not in Asgard, he traveled to different realms. Midgard being one of them. You are clever like he was, studious. He would have loved you, Sophia Tronddottir."

"'Would have'?"

"Unfortunately, he died in battle a few years ago. Had Fury divulged the true nature of your parentage, had he tried to understand you, you could have meet your father a long time ago."

They looked nothing alike, Sophia thought as the man's, Trond, book disappeared and he started towards her, his arms held wide. She had never seen a picture of her mother, but she knew now, looking at the man in front of her, that she must take after the woman. Still, there was a warmth in Trond's eyes as he reached her, his hands lifting to cradle the sides of his face. That warmth spread all the way down to Sophia's toes as he smiled. "My daughter. My beautiful daughter."

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace.

Wow.

 _Wow._

Is this how it felt? To be loved, to be _appreciated._ When was the last time someone had held her like this, Sophia wondered as she closed her eyes, curling her fingers into the front of his shirt. When was the last time someone had made her feel wanted?

Wait.

Wait, there had been someone.

" _You don't look that scary to me. I'm not going anywhere, Sophie."_ Blue eyes, blond hair like Trond, though maybe slightly smaller, his smile different.

And another. . . .

She remembered when she first met him.

She had been eight years old, lonely and sad and he had come to her dorm with a book, _Harry Potter._ He had kneeled in front of her and said, ' _I heard you like to read. My name is Phil Coulson. It's good to meet you, Sophia._ "

No, she decided as she released herself from Trond's embrace. This wasn't the life she got and, though the life she had hadn't been perfect, she had met some pretty amazing people. She had been appreciated, even if only by a few.

She stared at the man in front of her, at his confused expression. This wasn't real. It was an illusion, a fake, and, just like with any fake, you have to look for the glitch.

Ah.

There was a flicker, just to the right of Trond's head. Sophia reached for it and brushed her hand across it. The illusion shattered in lights of green, leaving her and Loki facing off again, the latter looking mildly impressed. "You are stronger than you look."

This was not a good man. No matter what he could teach her, that would never change one simple fact. "You killed Coulson."

"A necessary casualty."

Sophia's eyes narrowed and she could feel the tingle along her skin again. Loki didn't seem frightened; on the contrary, his grin widened as he watched her. " _A necessary casualty?"_

"There's that raw power," Loki encouraged. "Can't you feel it? Embrace it, Sophia."

The building shook a little and Sophia lost focus, the magic retreating as she looked out the window. _The_ Iron Man hovered in the air, his hands still glowing and a blue force field present around the machine on the balcony. She slowly approached the windows as Loki made his way outside to meet Mr. Tony Stark, his glowing scepter in hand.

"This is all happening so fast," she whispered, placing her hand against the giant window. All she had wanted to do was get out of the building, just once. Now she found herself in the middle of a war with a possible idea of who she could be.

An Asgardian.

Having a name, an identity, no matter how strange it seemed, made everything that much more overwhelming.

"You must be Sophia." Sophia looked up as Tony Stark entered the room, his suit still coming off him in pieces as he walked past tons of bookshelves (how could she forget the bookshelves!?). He eyed her and she realized how odd this must look: standing here with a mad man who wished to take over the earth, relatively unharmed. Tony leaned against the railing. "You look well. . . . Got an old guy who's insisting we find you and get you to safety."

"You're older than Steve," Sophia mumbled back absently. In just four days, Sophia had met not just one, but _four_ of the men she had studied and committed to memory, not to mention the big reveal of her parentage. If Fury locked her in her room after this, Sophia didn't think she'd have it in her to protest.

The quip made Tony smirk. "Technically speaking, he is in the nineties, looks or not."

Loki came back into the room (sauntering is more like it). "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity."

"Uh, actually I'm here to threaten you," Tony responded, clasping his hands behind his back.

"You should have left your armor on for that."

"Yea," Tony said as he walked down the stairs, "seen a bit of mileage and you've got the – glow stick of destiny."

Loki smiled down at his scepter as Tony moved behind a bar. "Would you like a drink?" Tony asked, standing behind his bar. He pulled out the scotch and a few glasses. "Kid, how old are you?" he asked of Sophia. "Eighteen, nineteen?"

"Twenty-three," Sophia answered with a frown.

"Go figure."

"Stalling me won't change anything," Loki told Tony, walking forward.

"No, no, no!" Tony replied. "Threatening. No drink? You sure? I'm having one. Kid?" he raised a glass to Sophia, but she shook her head, not really quite sure what to do. If Loki and Tony got into a fight, she wouldn't be able to do much about it.

She'd just be in the way, like always.

Loki frowned and walked towards the window where Sophia was standing. She backed away, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the murderer as she could. The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?"

"The Avengers," Tony told him, pouring himself a drink. "It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. Earth's Mightest Heros type of thing."

Loki turned back around, chuckling softly. "Yes. I've met them."

Tony laughed too. "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-God; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins and you, big fella – you've managed to piss off every single one of them. Never mind the strange kid with the even stranger powers, who doesn't look quite happy with you," Tony added, gesturing to Sophia.

Loki cast Sophia a glance and she held the glare, ignoring him when he smiled. "That was the plan."

"Not a great plan. When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

Sophia noticed Tony reach under his bar. Did he have a weapon stashed under there? She hoped so because she didn't think it quite a good idea to make Loki angry.

The Trickster looked back at Tony. "I have an army."

"We have a Hulk."

"I thought the beast had wandered off."

"You're missing the point," Tony argued, stepping from around a bar with a drink in hand. Sophia noticed the bracelets around his wrists now, glinting silver. "There's no throne. There is no version of this, where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it."

Loki walked forward, raising his scepter. "How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you?"

The gem in the middle glowed blue, that same damn icy blue and Sophia realized that's how Loki did it, how he changed people. "Mr. Stark, no!"

Loki touched the point of the scepter against Tony's heart and was rewarded with an echoing _ping!_

The arc reactor.

 _Of course!_

Loki tried again, with the same result. "This usually works," he muttered.

"Well performance issues. You know? 1 out of 5 –" Sophia jumped when Loki gripped Tony around the throat and threw him across the room, towards the windows. "Jarvis. Any time now."

Jarvis?

Who was Jarvis?

Loki reached Tony by the time he got up off the floor, grabbing him by the throat again. "You will all fall before me."

And then the Asgardian tossed Tony out of the window like he was nothing more than a rag doll.

Sophia stared in shock as Loki turned back to her grinning. "You see? The strength I have, you have as well. Just think of all we could do with this wretched –"

Something revved in the opposite wall and burst through, nearly knocking Loki over as it rushed out the window. Sophia grinned when she realized what it was. "You know, for someone so clever, you sure are stupid."

"What are you –?"

"Hey!" Loki turned to see Tony, now fully suited up in one of his glorious machines, hovering in the broken window. "And there's one other person you pissed off. His name was Phil."

Both Loki and Tony raised their weapons at the same time but Tony was faster. Loki cried out as he went flying backwards. Tony held out his arms to Sophia. "Let's go Kid, chop, chop!"

Sophia didn't hesitate, running towards Tony. As much as she wanted, _needed_ , a teacher it wasn't going to happen this way. Loki, as powerful and talented, as she could begrudgingly admit he was, was crazy and evil. SHIELD, Fury, had lied to her, kept her in the dark and she had grown up lonely and lost, but she was clever and a quick study. At twenty-three years old, she could probably earn a Doctorates Degree in any subject in about a year if she wanted to.

She'd damn sure be able to teach herself magic.

When she reached the ledge, Sophia jumped, running through the air.

 _Don't look down, don't look down!_

Tony's hard arms wrapped around her waist as a blue light from that machine shot up, piercing the sky. Sophia and Tony both watched as the sky turned dark, a hole starting to form. "What is that?" Sophia asked.

Something, lots of things, came flying out of the hole.

"Right," Tony muttered. "Army."

* * *

 **A/N: Decided to give you two chapters to make up for the shortness of the last one. And now, Sophia finally understands who she is! As the story continues, we will delve more into her Asgardian roots but for now, we have a planet to save! Thanks again for reading!**


	8. Protect and Deflect

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its Characters.**

* * *

"Mr. Stark," Sophia started as they hovered in the sky.

"Look Kid," Tony started keeping one arm wrapped tight around her waist and speaking fast, his voice robotized by the mask as he flew away from his tower. "I know you're kind of new at this thing. Cap's mentioned that you've never even been outside before but you seem like a tough kid, if you going after Loki is anything to go by. I would never do this, but we don't have much time. So, I'm going to ask you one question."

"What is it?"

"Do you trust me?" Tony called out as the neared the buildings.

"No!"

"Close enough!" He reached up and gripped her wrists, prying her off him. "Get somewhere safe!"

He spun once and then threw her.

Sophia screamed as she twisted in the air, heading straight for the roof of a building. Again, she acted on instinct, swinging her arms. Her shield wrapped around her just before she hit the roof, the gravel skidding under it. The hard bubble slammed into a wall and she came to a stop, letting the shield dropped as she glared in the direction Tony had gone. They had only been maybe twenty feet above the building and he must have known she'd be alright but still –

"JERK!" she yelled towards Tony's retreating figure.

Her yell attracted oncoming Chitauri and she berated herself as she turned and ran, knowing her only escape was the edge of the building.

Okay. Okay think.

She could create shields and she could move things with her mind.

She could work with that.

Protect and deflect, just like she did with her staff.

"Protect and deflect," Sophia muttered as she neared the ledge. "Protect and deflect!"

She jumped.

Fifty stories.

First day on the job and she was jumping fifty stories.

"Protect!" Sophia yelled as the wind rushed past her.

Thirty stories.

"Protect!"

God, she was falling like a freaking stone! The ground was rushing up to meet her.

"Protect!"

Could Asgardians die? She knew they lived long but that didn't necessarily make them immortal. She was going to die, wasn't she?

Twenty feet.

" _PROTECT!"_

The shield surrounded her like a hard, plastic bubble just before she hit the ground, causing her to bounce around inside. People scattered as the dust settled, screaming. With a groan, Sophia let the shield fall, sitting up slowly. "Not dead. That's a good sign."

Way to stay positive.

So, this was New York City. She had always wanted to visit and now she didn't even have time to sight see.

Not that it would matter. Most of the buildings were being destroyed anyway.

She slowly got to her feet, watching as the Chitauri flew overhead. She could still see the Stark Tower from where she was, though the 'R' and 'K' were gone. A quinjet flew above it, firing at, she assumed, Loki. A blue beam fired from the patio, hitting one of the quinjet engines. The plane stuttered in the air for a moment before it started its descent.

"Of course I'm in jeans," Sophia muttered as she sprinted in that direction. "Jeans and a freaking t-shirt, with no hair tie. Because I couldn't be in my comfortable uniform, which is _still on the freaking Helicarrier_!"

Pieces of building were falling on cars, onto the street, towards civilians. A chituari fleet was heading down the street and Sophia held up her hand as she ran. " _DEFLECT!"_

Three of the bikes stopped (much to her surprise; she had only been aiming for one!) and Sophia flung her hand to the side, cringing when the chitauri crashed into the building next to it. Note to self: work on aim and control.

She turned a corner and saw the quinjet, heading for the cross section. Running up, she faced the incoming plane and took a deep breath.

 _DEFLECT!_

Sophia held out her hands in front of her and then pushed her arms out. The cars in the pathway of the quinjet moved to the side and laughed in delirious excitement. She was getting good at this!

And then she realized she was still standing in the path of the quinjet as it skidded down the street. Throwing up her arms, she created a shield in front of herself. The tip of the quinjet hit her shield and forced her backwards into the building behind her.

Note to self: pay attention during battles.

"Sophia!"

Again, she found herself sitting up, groaning. Steve climbed into the hole she had made, kneeling down next to her. He looked good in his suit, she thought. It was interesting seeing the whole effect of "superheroism" up close and personal. His hands hovered over her, as if he was scared to touch her. "You alright?"

"Peachy," Sophia muttered, holding out a hand so he could help her to her feet. "Still not dead. Good to see you all made it."

"What happened? You went after Loki and -"

"I'll explain everything later," she said, climbing out of the hole, not really looking forward to the conversation they would eventually have to have. She could see Natasha's red hair, running deeper into the city. Taking her staff off her waist, she flicked it, extending both ends. "We've got a city to save!"

"No," Steve said, gripping her forearm and frowning. "You need to get somewhere safe."

"I'm tired of people saying that to me!"

"Sophia, this isn't some simulation. Don't you think you need time to process –"

"You're one to talk. You just woke up less than a month or two ago." Sophia glared up at him, knowing it was a low blow and mentally preparing herself to apologize later but at this point she was sick and tired of being treated like some fragile thing. " _I_ jumped fifty stories off a skyscraper. _I_ crushed three chituari soldiers. _I_ just stopped your quinjet from causing more damage to this building than it would have. I don't have time to 'process', I can't stop! If I stop, I'll crumble!"

She hadn't meant to admit that last part but she could feel her panic just on the edge of all her emotions. She had lost one of her closest friends, been attacked by fellow agents, found out she might possibly be _half Aesir_ , thrown through the air, attacked by aliens. . . . She was terrified and overwhelmed and, for the first time, she missed her room and her walls back at the facility. But here she was, out here just like she wanted and she wasn't going to cower away now. "This is my fight just as much as it is yours. I've got this. Let me help!"

Steve hesitated, sighing before he grabbed her wrist, pulling her down the street at a run. "Stay close!"

"Yes sir!"

Sophia and Steve caught up to Natasha and, surprisingly, Clint, in no time. The archer arched an eyebrow at her. "Good to see you out and about, Doe."

A roar above them caught their attention. Streaming out of the hole, along with more chitauri, was a giant, mechanical creature. It looked somewhat like a cross between a dragon and a snake, only twice as scary. Sophia's heart jumped into her throat. "Yea . . . beginning to regret that."

The monster flew over their heads, Steve, Clint, Natasha and Sophia turned to watch it fly into the city. Chitauri jumped from its back and onto the buildings, bursting into the windows.

"Stark are you seeing this?" Steve called out, obviously speaking over comms. Whatever Tony said, it made Steve frown. "Banner?"

The chituari were nearing them, blasting apart the street. Natasha turned to Sophia, frowning. "What can you do?"

A building next to them explode, debris raining down on them. Sophia held up her hands and an umbrella shield covered herself, Steve and the Agents. Clint nodded in approval. "That'll work."

The four of them ran, crouching next to a group of taxis for protection as the chituari flew overhead. There were screams echoing around them. People running. "We got civilians trapped up here," Clint said over the noise.

Another group of vessels flew over them, the one leading them wearing a noticeable and recognizable green cape. "Loki," Steve muttered.

They watched as Loki and his gang begin to blast apart the street, scattering cars and asphalt everywhere. It was just like the attack on the helicarrier. There was no pattern, just complete and utter chaos.

"They're fish in a barrel down there," Steve said, ducking back when an energy blast hit the car right where his shoulder had been. Natasha stood, pulling both of her pistols, shooting at the chituari who were coming towards them. Clint ran forward, bow and arrow at the ready.

"We got this," Natasha told Steve. "It's good. Go."

Steve nodded before he turned to Sophia. "I want you on civilian duty with me. Get them off the street and out of the way. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Sophia responded, determined.

"Here," Natasha responded, reaching into a pocket on her belt. She placed it in Sophia's open palm. "Keep in contact. Stay within range."

Sophia closed her fist around the earpiece for a brief second (her first comm!) before popping it into her ear. Nodding, she gave Natasha a grim smile. "First mission is the easiest, right?"

"You'll be just fine."

"You think you can hold them off?" Steve asked Clint.

The archer looked back at the soldier. "Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

Protect and Deflect.

That was Sophia's mantra when Clint stood up, firing a blasting arrow at the approaching chitauri, giving her and Steve enough time to spring into action. She followed him over the bridge (she had jumped fifty stories; she could handle a bridge), waving a hand behind her as they fell onto a bus below. Some of the blasts hit the bus at their feet but the rest bounced off her shield. Sophia dove off the side of the bus as Steve ran forward. Turning, she reached up and made a grabbing motion. The vessel stopped and Sophia yelled, pulling her arms down and to her right, causing it to crash into the ground. She ran to catch up to Steve, who sent her a sideways glance. "You're really getting the hang of that."

"It's like a muscle!" Sophia responded, running around a car. "The more you use it, I guess."

"I'll head off the chitauri and get to the police! You clear the civilians!"

"On it!"

Steve ran forward, jumping over cars, while Sophia corralled civilians out of the way. "In here! Out of the street! Let's go! Head into the basements! Head into the subways!"

The buildings may not be the safest; there was always the factor that they could come down, but Sophia needed to get these people out of the streets where the chitauri were aiming. She wondered, briefly, if her shields lasted long enough to create barriers. Was she even strong enough for that? She could already feel her body getting tired and she tried to hang on to the adrenaline she had been running on since Iron Man threw her. Could using her gifts be taking its toll on her? This was the most she had ever used them. . . .

Turning, she saw the flash of Steve's shield from where he stood on top of a car, fighting chitauri. Making sure all the civilians behind her were cleared, she took off at a dead sprint towards him. She heard crying and came stuttering to a stop, spinning to look for the noise.

There was a kid, a little boy, maybe no older than nine, crouched in an alleyway. The building above him was beginning to crumble.

"Of course, there's a kid," Sophia mumbled, holding out a hand to him. "There's always a kid!"

Sophia thought to maybe pull the kid towards her, push him out of the way but she still didn't really know just how strong her powers were. She could kill the kid if she wasn't careful. If she tried to deflect the debris away, she could end up making it worse.

Only one thing to do them. Taking a breath, she ran towards him, her tennis shoes pounding against the asphalt.

"Sophie!" That would be Steve, she knew, wondering what the hell she was doing. What the hell _was_ she doing? Every nerve ending in her body was yelling at her to abort, to turn back but she knew she couldn't.

Not when a little boy's life was on the line.

"Sophia!"

God, she hoped this worked.

Sophia threw her staff to the side and dived at the kid, wrapping her arms around his tiny body. "Don't let go!" she told him.

The chunk of building collapsed onto them, shrouding the area in darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Sophia's first mission is a big one, isn't it! Thanks again for stopping through and reading. S/o to new readers: alexma and SilverCrews. Reviewers get digital cookies!**


	9. Still Not Dead

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its Characters.**

* * *

"Sophia!"

Still not dead.

That made how many now? At least five times. She'd have to be careful or she'd begin to think she was invincible (which, obviously, yeah, she kind of was but she didn't know if being half human threw a wrench into that).

Back to basics.

Acknowledge surroundings:

Little boy in arms (safe, scared, but unharmed)

Blue shield covering the two of them (way to go, Sophia!)

Shirt ripped a bit up the side, jeans ripped at the knees (from diving to get the kid; Note to self: Asgardians do bleed which means they could also die)

Dark, no visible light (could be a bad thing, depending on how much of the building was on top of them now)

Steve's voice sounding in her ear (not too much debris then, or the signal would have been cut off)

Sophia put her hands on the kid's shoulders, pushing him back a bit. His face was dirty and wet from his tears and he was shaking but not hurt. She gave him a smile, trying to project confidence instead of the nervousness she was feeling. "What's your name?"

"Chad."

"Well, Chad, you're doing great."

"Are you like Captain America? And Iron Man?"

Sophia shrugged, realizing that she hadn't a cool superhero name. Note to self: if this was going to become a thing, figure out a superhero name. "Sort of."

"Sophia!" Steve called over the coms again. "Can you hear me?"

"What's wrong?" Tony asked. "Is Kid alright? I told her to get to safety!"

"Name's still not Kid," Sophia grumbled, pressing a hand to her ear as she got to her feet, the boy following her up. "Steve, are you standing right next to us?"

"Yea, but –"

"Step back. I'm going to try something." She looked back to the kid, who was examining their 'cave' with wide eyes. "I'm going to get us out of here, okay?"

Chad nodded, slipping his hand into hers. Sophia gave a reassuring squeeze before raising her free hand straight out in front of her. She had never tried this (obviously, with this being the first day she _actually used her ability_ ), but she didn't see any other way. If she dropped the shield, they'd be crushed, but she couldn't wait for Steve or make him waste precious time digging them out. She would just have to dig them out from inside the shield. That would be the hard part, dividing her focus between protecting and deflecting.

"I can do this," Sophia muttered to herself, rolling her shoulders. "Just like using my staff. I multitask all the time! This is easy. Raw power, Loki said. Now I just have to access it. Right?" she added, looking down at Chad, who was watching her, confused. Sophia nodded. "Right."

Taking a deep breath, Sophia focused, her hand directed at the debris. She imagined what it must look like from the outside: rubble, beams, bricks. She'd have to move the debris closest to the street first and carefully or else more would just fall on them. She felt for what she was trying to deflect, reached for it, even though she couldn't see it.

"Come on, Sophia," she whispered.

Chad tightened his grip on her hand and Sophia thought that helped. She wasn't just fighting to get herself out of this alive; Chad was eight. Chad had a normal, healthy life ahead of him, full of sports and school dances and all other manners of things she saw on TV shows. She'd be damned if she let him miss out on that.

She felt it then, let her eyes fall closed as she focused on moving the bricks and debris that were farthest out. A few pieces at a time, slow but steady, quick but careful. Next to her, Chad gasped and Sophia dared open her eyes, letting out the breath she had been holding.

Light.

Sophia continued to move the debris, dropping it off to the side until there was about a foot of her shield not covered by debris. She grinned down at Chad. "Now comes the tricky part."

Using both hands, she gestured, as if parting a curtain and she watched as a hole appeared in the space she had made. Chad looked up at her and, when she nodded, quickly crawled out through the hole. Sophia moved closer to the parted edges, focusing, mostly now, on keeping the building from crashing on her as she too crawled out. As soon as she was clear, she sighed, and her shield disappeared, the building crashing with a resounding _BOOM._

Her eyes darted around until she found Chad, now in the arms of a policeman who was jogging towards the stairs to the subway. He waved at her as they disappeared. A hand landed on her shoulder and Sophia looked up at Steve with a grin. "Piece of cake. . . . Were we in there long? It felt like ages."

"Seven minutes, tops. These things seem to move slower." Steve held out a hand and Sophia took it, letting him pull her to her feet. As soon as he let go, however, Sophia stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn't caught her. He stared down at her, eyes worried. "Did you get hit?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Maybe you should go with the police."

Sophia shook her head. "I won't. I just – I think my powers are exhausting me. I've never used them this much. I should stick to," she started looking around until her eyes landed on a familiar looking piece of metal, bent and misshapen under the building, "my staff."

Steve looked around the ground for a second before he scooped something up, holding out to her. "This work?"

It was a chitauri staff, she realized, long and skinny, two prongs on one end. They had used them like shot guns, but, jiggling it once and twirling it, Sophia found it to be lightweight. She shrugged. "Good enough."

Steve was still watching her warily. "You're sure you're good?"

She nodded, determined. "I'm fighting."

He nodded back. "Let's get back to the bridge then."

She ran after him, holding her makeshift staff low and horizontal to make it easier to run. It was so interesting to watch Steve in action, she realized, up close and personal and not in documentaries. TV didn't do justice to the way he so fluidly moved, diving and leaping over cars. He truly was amazing.

She followed him as he jumped over a large cinderblock, knocking down two chitauri soldiers who had been rushing towards Barton. Sophia spun and knocked back another, twirling the staff over her head before grasping it in two hands, pressing the button towards the handle. A jet of light shot out and knocked back a solider into another, both landing on the ground and moving no more. Sophia stared in awe. "Can I keep this!?"

"No!" three voices answered back.

There were more chituari soldiers on the bridge than she recalled and she backed up towards the rest of her group, knocking away Chituari as they came at her. If they didn't get some back up soon –

No sooner had she thought it, lightning struck the earth, hitting several chitauri at once. They all flailed in the light before falling to the ground. Thor landed soon after, though not at all gracefully. He looked hurt, tired and as he moved towards them, Sophia noted the blood at his side.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked, moving to meet the Asgardian.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor grunted out.

"Thor's right," Tony said over the comms. He shot past them overhead, two chituari soldiers on his tail. "We gotta deal with these guys. What's the story on Kid?"

Sophia frowned as all attention was directed on her and she turned her glare in the direction Tony had flown. "Name is _still_ not kid."

"She's a tough one!" Tony responded, as if she hadn't spoken.

"Lady Sophia," Thor said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He didn't smile but she thought she saw a proud gleam in his eye. "I am glad to have you join us in combat."

The way he said it, Sophia realized that he had known, or at least partially suspected, that she was part Asgardian. That must have been why he had come down to see her, which means Fury and Coulson had suspected it as well.

Loki had been right. They had lied to her.

 _Focus on the now, deal with the rest later._

Sophia nodded at Thor. "Thought I'd see what all the fuss was about."

"We will have to obtain more suitable battle armor for you when this is over."

"How _do_ we do this?" Natasha asked Steve.

"As a team," their leader answered, watching the skies.

Thor frowned. "I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yea?" Barton asked, checking his arrows. "Well get in line."

"Save it," Steve cut in. He turned, focusing on his team. "Loki's going to keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. With him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top. He's going to need us to –"

The out-of-place _putputput_ of a motorbike interrupted Steve's battleplans (first day on the job and Sophia got to follow orders from _the_ Captain America!). All of them stopped and watched as none other than Dr. Banner drove up through the debris and flames. Sophia couldn't help but smile at how odd the sight of it was.

The team approached the Doctor as he kicked down the kickstand and got off the bike, looking around. "So . . . this all seems, horrible."

"I've seen worse," Natasha responded, nodding in his direction and Sophia realized who must have been at the forefront when the Hulk attacked on the Helicarrier.

"Sorry."

"No . . . we could use a little worse."

"Stark," Steve said, over the comms, "we got him."

"Banner?"

"Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

All of them looked up as Iron Man came flying around the corner of a building, a loud roar echoing through the air as the Leviathan followed, hot on his trail. Sophia gripped hard onto the staff, watching as Tony brought the monster in their direction.

"I-I don't see how that's a party," Natasha said, shaking her head and Sophia couldn't help but agree.

As the Leviathan got closer, Bruce glanced at them all once before walking in its direction, placing himself directly in its path.

"Dr. Banner," Steve said, sounding just a bit hesitant, "now really might be the time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Captain," Bruce answered, sparing him a glance. "I'm always angry."

Sophia watched, awed as the doctor turned back around, his skin changing to green, his muscles bulging and growing, his shirt and pants ripping . . . . Before she knew it, the Hulk was standing in front of them all, his fist driving into the nose of the Leviathan. Both it and the Hulk skidded backwards a few feet. The beast rose up, tail in the air, bits of it breaking and falling off.

"Hold on!" Tony called out before he fired at a piece of its exposed flesh, causing it to explode. Steve turned, covering himself and Natasha, Clint duck under an over turned car and Sophia raised her hands, covering both herself and Thor, who hadn't made a move for cover whatsoever but she figured it wouldn't hurt to have a bit more protection. She felt Thor's hand on her shoulder again and she took that as a means of gratitude.

As the Leviathan fell over the bridge, crashing below them, the chitauri began to screech and yell. The Hulk answered back with a roar of its own while the rest of them raised their weapons. Sophia looked around the circle, at all these amazing people, surprised that she was a part of that number.

Before anything else could happen, another roar split the sky. They all looked up as two more Leviathans came out of the portal, followed by more chituari. Sophia felt her heart drop into her stomach and she tightened her grasp on her staff again.

Steve said these things tend to just feel like they moved slower.

It would be over before she knew it, right?

Right.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey all! Sorry I missed my original posting date :) It was a busy weekend! So today, I think I'll post two, and then possibly another one on Saturday! Thanks to all you have favorited and are following this story. Please, drop a review and let me know what you like about the story (or don't like). I would love some feedback! Thanks everyone.**


	10. Today, I am a Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its Characters!**

* * *

"Wrong," Sophia muttered as she wacked back another chitauri. "Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

These things did not feel like they move slow, they _did_ move slow. She knew it couldn't have been more than ten minutes since they had split up, going off on what Steve had assigned them to do, but it felt much, much longer. Steve had kept her on the ground with him and Natasha while Clint called out where chitauri were headed, Thor tried to keep more from coming through the port and Tony worked on containment.

Sophia's job was to ensure the chituari were turned back from buildings containing the most people. She used their weapon against them, shooting when necessary, relying on it rather than her powers. She had spent thirteen years perfecting her art with a bo-staff; when her powers failed her, she had skill.

And at this point, a shit ton of determination and adrenaline. She was out here fighting with greats; that meant showing off a little.

Sophia ran forward when she saw chitauri heading for a coffee shop. With a battle cry, she jumped onto the hood of a car and jumped off, jamming the pronged end of her staff into the ground, using it almost like a pole vault. Her feet jammed into one's chest, forcing it. Yanking the staff up again, she spun it, knocking the ends into three chituari heads, ducking when another soldier aimed at her, his blast hitting a comrade behind him. Thrusting forwards and back, she managed to take out two more, before holding the staff correct and shooting down the last one. "I'm keeping this," she muttered.

Sparing a quick glance over her shoulder at the civilians, she darted off again to repeat, keeping the chitauri back from buildings.

Protect and deflect, without magic.

If she pretended this was a simulation, it almost became a game, another day living in her regular routine, rather than a life-threatening death match.

"Sophia!" Steve called over the comms. "Back to the bridge."

"On my way." If there was one other thing Sophia was good at, it was running. She wasn't nearly as fast as Cap, but she had stamina, which was needed. By the time she reached the bridge, Steve and Natasha were already waiting for her. The latter looked a bit winded, blood on her forehead but still all together fierce as hell. "Civilians are still safe, but more and more of the chituari keep coming through."

"Captain," Natasha said, leaning against a car, "none of this is going to mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."

Steve looked up at the sky. "Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."

"Well maybe it's not about guns."

Sophia turned as another group of chitauri landed on the bridge, headed towards them. She looked back at Natasha. "The Tesseract is on the porch of Stark Tower."

"You wanna get up there, you're going to need a ride," Steve told the red-head.

"I got a ride," she told him, eyes on one of the chituari chariots. She threw down the staff she had been holding and walked to the other side of the bridge. "I could use a boost though."

Steve backed up, holding his shield at ready. "You sure about this?"

"Yeah," Natasha answered, readying herself as well. "It's gonna be fun."

Sophia watched in awe as Natasha ran forward, jumping onto the hood of a car and onto Steve's shield, using it like a springboard. She shot up into the air and latched onto a chariot, zooming away. Sophia shook her head. "So badass."

That just left her and Steve on the bridge. They turned their attention to the oncoming chitauri. Steve shot Sophia a glance, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smirk. "Second wind?"

Steve ducked as a blast of light hit the wall beside him, the chituari approaching. Grinning, Sophia responded in kind, shooting the soldier over the bridge. "Second wind."

The two of the them ran forward to meet the chituari, Steve throwing his shield. It hit one soldier, rebounded off a wall and hit another before coming back to the Captain. Sophia jammed the prong end into the ground again and spun on the staff, kicking chituari in the head. When her feet touched the ground, she pulled up the staff and shot at another soldier, before quickly swinging the staff like a bat, cracking against the knees of yet another chituari. She and Steve ended up standing almost back to back and, much later, Sophia would reflect on their synchronization. Steve knew when to duck at just the right time for Sophia to spin her staff over his head, taking out stray oncoming chitauris and Sophia moved with a quickness that was surprising, stepping to the side to duck behind his raised shield as they were shot at, using the metal as a reflector to take out more than one chituari. One time, Sophia used her powers to pull a chituari towards them and Steve met it, driving his shield up and into its chin, sending it reeling backwards.

"I thought you said these things move fast!" Sophia argued as they battled.

"I said they felt slow!" he replied. "I never said they finished fast."

Sophia turned just in time to be knocked back by a chituari. So far she had been doing pretty well at avoiding it, as most of her staff moves required avoidance and distraction in order to get the upper hand so she hadn't really been prepared for how much it would hurt or how far she would fly. Her back hit the car and she felt the metal cave in around her. Her hand sliced open as she tried to get up, warm blood sliding down her arm, the chitauri walking towards, staff raised to impale her on the spiked prongs.

Everything suddenly became that much more real.

As much as she knew this was all real, all of the chituari she had faced, the building falling on her and that little boy, somehow she had made herself just go through the motions without even realizing it but it was like she had woken up and found out this wasn't a dream or a simulation or anything of the sort. She was very much so in the middle of a battle against homicidal aliens. She had very much so done some ridiculously dangerous and reckless things in the past ten minutes alone.

And despite whatever Asgardian blood she had, whatever strength, whatever healing factor, she remembered that she was very much so still human and very, _very_ much so in over her head and incredibly terrified.

She hadn't realized she had frozen until a flash of red, silver, and blue was knocking the chituari away from her. Steve appeared in front of her, catching his shield before reaching for her. "We have more people to save."

What was she doing out here? She wasn't a fighter. She was a reader, a scholar, a (granted it was forced) homebody. She had no right to be out here, not with people like Captain America, Iron Man, and let's not forget, Hulk, two master assassins and a demi-god. She was just Sophia Doe, the foolish girl who dove into the deep end without knowing how to swim. "I'm no hero."

She hadn't realized she had said that last part aloud until Steve was right there, one hand gently gripping the back of her head to make her look at him, his eyes hard, slightly narrowed. "Tell that to the kid you saved. Sophia, I get that you're scared. I'm scared too, but we keep moving, right? You said so yourself. Now's not the time to crumble and you've been doing great, _amazing._ After this, when we get home, you don't ever have to fight another battle if you don't want to, but you do have to finish this one. We don't get to leave things unfinished. Besides, I need you. You got my back and I've got yours, right? So, what do you say? Second wind?"

Sophia knew it would be pointless to argue that they had already had their second wind but she also knew Steve was right. This was what she signed up for, right? This was what she wanted? Okay, admittedly, she thought she would be taking out, like, a smuggling ring on her first mission, not taking out aliens, but this is what she had gotten.

For today, she was a hero.

"Second wind," she responded, offering her uninjured hand so that Steve could pull her out of the crater she had made in the car (a crater in the shape of her body, awesome). Steve didn't comment, though she knew she'd have to feel him in on the whole half-Asgardian thing later if he hadn't already figured out there was something super freaky about her. Her hand was still bleeding but the cut didn't seem too deep; it would heal in an hour or so.

"Clint said there were civilians caught in the bank on 42nd," Steve said as they ran, leading the way. "The chituari are on the second level, civilians on the ground. I'll take out the chituari if you can get everyone out."

"I can do that."

"I know you can."

It didn't take long to reach the bank. Steve and Sophia exchanged a nod before separating. At the front of the bank, two chituari soldiers guarded the door, staffs at ready to shoot any civilians who tried to make a run for it.

"Hey!" Sophia cried out, causing them to turn. As soon as they were facing each other on their way to face her, she clapped her hands together, ignoring the pain in her hands. The two soldiers slammed together as well, impaling each other on their spiked prongs. Sophia cringed. "Not what I was going for, but I'm not complaining."

Sophia ran inside the bank, surprised by the sheer amount of people. Up above them, a chitauri soldier had his arm wrapped around Steve's neck, prying at his mask with his claws. She wanted to help but she knew Steve could handle himself. "Everyone let's go!"

People pushed past her, towards the door and Sophia looked up as a beeping sound from the second level started to get faster. She watched as Steve ran to get his shield and the chituari soldier threw an object at him, which exploded, sending the super soldier out the window. "Steve!" she screamed.

The chituari turned its attention on her and all the people leaving the bank, raising its weapon. Sophia raised a shield to cover the civilians before it could fire, the shot rebounding and hitting the shooter. "Keep going! Get out! Get to the police"

When the last of the civilians were out, Sophia ran out too, finding her friend, his cowl gone but otherwise he seemed alright, just – sad. She followed his gaze, noting the destruction and she felt so selfish. Forget about her whole identity crises and fear; like she had said herself, Steve had only been awake for a month, maybe two. This couldn't be easy for him either, jumping from one war to another, no rest, not really. Reaching up, she curled her fingers against his arm. He looked down at her and she gave him a small smile. "Second wind?"

More chituari approached them. Steve nodded his head, tightening his grip on his shield. "Second wind."

And so they fought, fiercely and never ending. Thor landed near them and joined in, his hammer clanging against the armor of the chitauri, sending them flying. When Sophia felt herself draining again, she acquired another chitauri staff, ignoring the pain in her hand again as she gripped the pole, shooting at any oncoming chituari. She saw Steve go down and she moved in that direction, jamming the prongs into the chest of a soldier, spinning on the pole and knocking away another with her power.

"Lady Sophia!" She glanced back at her name and dived out a way as a car came careening towards her and the army, using her shield to protect herself as the vehicle knocked the rest away. Thor strode towards her and Steve as both of them got back to their feet, the god offering his hand to both. "Are you ready for another bout?"

"What? You gettin' sleepy?" Steve asked, his hand over where he had gotten shot.

"I think we've takin' a lot of second winds," Sophia replied as Thor summoned his weapon.

Suddenly, the comms crackled to life again, Natasha's voice echoing. "I can close it. Can anyone copy? I can shut the portal down."

"Do it!" Steve responded.

"No wait!" That was Tony. Sophia spun on the spot, searching for the tale-tale sign of red and gold.

"Stark, these things are still coming!"

"I got a nuke coming in."

Sophia clutched her hands into fist, anger coursing through her. "It's got to be the World Security Council. They'd nuke us if they thought it'd be for the greater good."

"It's gonna blow in less than a minute," Tony's voice came back over the comms. "And I know just where to put it."

Sophia's mind and eyes immediately went to the portal and she put her hand over her mouth. "No…"

"Stark," Steve said, catching on, "you know that's a one-way trip."

Tony didn't respond and Sophia realized he must have diverted his suit's power to something more important. She watched as Iron Man disappeared into the portal with the missile. What she knew about Tony Stark, about his exploits, his inventions, could possibly fill a book but she wanted to know more. She wanted him to survive so she could tell him what a jerk he was for throwing her twenty feet through the air. She wanted to thank him for saving her from Loki.

She didn't want him to die.

Blinking away the tears that were bound to come, Sophia tried to focus on the chitauri approaching them. She needn't have worried though. Around them, the chituari dropped like flies, crumbling to the ground. A few blocks away, the leviathan crumbled as well.

An explosion rocked the area, echoing above them but Stark was nowhere to be seen.

"Close it," Steve muttered after a moment of waiting.

The three of the watched as the beam of light that had been a steady constant disappeared into the sky, the hole glowing for a moment before closing.

And something red and gold falling from it just before it did. Sophia gasped. "Is that –"

"Son of a gun," Steve whispered.

Sophia could feel the beginnings of a smile but it faltered when she realized that Iron Man wasn't flying in that smug way she expected him to be. Thor realized it as well, beginning to spin his hammer. "He's not slowing down!"

Before the god of lightning could take off, however, a streak of green flew through the sky, catching Tony in its arm as it clung to the side of a building. The Hulk fell, cradling Tony in its arms as it hit the ground, skidding a few feet. When he stopped, he tossed Iron Man on the ground beside him. Thor, Sophia and Steve ran up to the two, too concerned about Tony to give Hulk some berth.

"Is he breathing?" Steve asked as Thor ripped the mask away. Steve leaned close, listening for breaths while Sophia looked on, frantic. With the chest plate, not to mention the Arc Reactor, it wasn't very possible that they could do CPR. He was going to die if –

The Hulk gave a mighty roar, causing Sophia to shriek and Tony to gasp awake.

"What the hell?" The billionaire gasped. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

Sophia sunk to her knees in relief as Steve sat back on his heels. "We won."

And they had. The destruction was great, but they had saved lives today, stopped an army of aliens and a megalomaniac.

Sophia laughed, a delirious sort of laugh. When the men looked at her, she just shook her head.

"Still not dead."

* * *

 **A/N: And so we've reached the end of the Batttle of New York! Don't worry, though, we haven't reached the end of Sophia's story. Thanks again to all the readers and followers. Drop a review, tell me what you think!**


	11. Answers Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its Characters.**

* * *

Sophia stared down at the box in front of her. It was still closed, as it had been when Fury had handed it to her an hour or so ago. She knew she wouldn't accomplish anything by letting it sit there but she couldn't bring herself to open it, scared of what she would learn.

The last couple of days had been a whirlwind of emotion and stress. After capturing Loki and fitting him in specialized chains complete with a muzzle, they had sent him off with SHIELD Agents to the New York facility until Dr. Selvig and Banner could stabilize the tesseract enough for it to handle a trip back to Asgard. That meant the team (God, she was part of a team and not just any team but the Avengers!) was dragged off by Tony to the shawarma place he had spotted during the battle. It had been so surreal, sitting there between Steve and Thor, picking at her lamb (one more new thing) meat wrapped in a pita in the aftermath of this alien battle, the owners cleaning up as if it were a normal evening.

It had all hit Sophia very hard in that moment. To think, just a few days ago, she had never been outside and then, very suddenly, she was finding out her parentage, jumping from buildings, nearly dying (multiple times) . . . losing the only person she probably considered something like a father. She pushed her food away, placed her head in her arms and cried. To her credit, it wasn't the hysterical sobbing she had expected it to be, but a dam broke and she just cried, shoulders shaking, tears dripping onto the table. None of the team said anything, which she was grateful for. Thor placed his hand on her back while Steve placed his hand in her hair but they allowed her to be a 'first-timer'. When she finished, Natasha handed her some napkins across the table before going back to her food and they all carried on as if nothing had happened.

Yesterday, they had Coulson's funeral, along with the many other Agents who had lost their lives. Sophia had cried again, Steve had held her hand, and they watched as Coulson's coffin was lowered into the ground. The rest of the team had been there as well and they all stood to the back as not to cause any kind of disturbance. Apparently, many people were happy with them, a lot more weren't. A lot of destruction had happened, no matter their attempts to contain it. At the end of the funeral, Thor had asked to speak with Sophia, alone and the two of them walked away from the others.

"I want to apologize for any distress that Loki might have caused you while were . . . in his care," Thor started, staring down at her.

"I don't suppose I'd call it distress," Sophia told him, frowning. "More – enlightening."

Thor smiled. "You sound like your father."

Though it wasn't confirmed (Sophia had been avoiding Fury like the plaque), it was the only logical explanation. Like a great detective once said, 'when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth'. . . . Sophia had always known she wasn't a mutant and there was nothing else to explain her abilities. Meeting Thor and Loki had just pulled the pieces together. "I would have liked to know him."

"He would have liked to know you as well, my Lady. But I believe there is one way we can remedy that. You could accompany me," he explained, at Sophia's confused expression, "back to Asgard."

"Wait – wait, what?" Sophia squawked, drawing the eyes on onlookers. She cleared her throat. "You want me to – up . . . out there!? Is – that even allowed? I'm part human."

"And part Asgardian. It is true that you will never know your father, but to understand where he came from, where _you_ come from, is to become one step closer, isn't it? We may also be able to find someone to assist you in training your abilities. It does not have to be forever," Thor added, sensing Sophia's fear and hesitation. "If you become uncomfortable, we could always return you to Midgard."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, morning. Take today to think about it?"

That same evening, with that conversation in mind, still dressed in her wrinkled black clothing, Sophia found herself going to Fury's office. Maria Hill saw her coming and didn't stop her; she simply turned her back and muttered something into her comms and Sophia entered the room.

"Director?" she started, letting the door close behind her.

The man held up a finger to her before pressing a few buttons on his desk. Two of the screens closest to her blared to life and Sophia turned to watch them, frowning at Fury's need for dramatics.

She had avoided watching any TV, already having enough bad dreams on her own without the News reminding her that she had been there. But there she was, on one of the screens, fighting off chituari with one of their own staffs. The fight had been filmed on a phone camera (she could tell from the shaky quality) and geez did she look a mess; jeans and shirt ripped, her hair loose and wild, blood on her forehead and knees. . . . She didn't look much like a hero, but, she had to admit, as she watched herself dig the staff in the ground and use it as a pole vault, she looked a bit badass. The next screen had a woman in it, speaking into a microphone, holding a kid in her arms.

"We got separated in the mess," the woman was saying, tears in her eyes. "I tried to go back but we were being forced off the streets. It felt like ages before a Policeman was bringing my boy down to the subway, calling out my name."

"The girl with the purple hair saved me!" the little boy said and Sophia smiled when she realized it was Chad. "She didn't have any armor but she dove under the buildings and she had this glowing blue shield and she moved the rocks with her mind! She was fighting with Captain America! I saw her!"

"Did this girl have a name?" the reporter asked, moving the mic to Chad.

"Captain America called her Sophia!"

"Whoever she was," Chad's mother said, as a freeze frame shot of Sophia appeared in the corner, "all I can say is thank you. Thank you for saving my little boy."

The screens turned off and Sophia turned to face Fury who was watching her. "You made quite an impression."

"Is this the part where you ground me?" Sophia asked, unable to hold her tongue.

The Director frowned and turned his back on her, folding his hand behind him. "This is the part – where I admit I was wrong."

"Come again?"

He sent her a half-hearted glare and Sophia berated herself for not recording it the first time. Fury reached below his desk, pulling out a medium sized blue box. There was a tab on it that read 'Lena Tilden', but on the front of the box, there was another sticker with her name 'Sophia Doe' written in bold letters. Sophia felt her heart clench in throat when she met Fury's eyes. "You were right, in a way. Not a prisoner, but I couldn't risk you out there not knowing what you were."

"When you figured out I wasn't a mutant, did you try anything else?" Sophia asked, her throat thick with tears she was fighting not to shed.

"No because at the time, nothing else existed that would explain your existence. So, we kept you hidden and, yes, we lied to you, because you were a kid and you accepted what was told to you."

"Now that I'm adult?"

"You've still got a lot to learn. . . . But you handled yourself well out there. You kept people safe, watched your teams' backs. You knew your limits and you . . . impressed me." He slid the box across the table to her but she didn't move to pick it up. She could feel herself shaking, she was so pissed. It took her nearly dying for the Director to be honest with her and that was just unacceptable. "You'll find everything about your mother, about her time with us, in that folder as well as some old notes on you and things we've complied since the discovery of Thor."

"Thor invited me to Asgard," she blurted out. "I'm leaving with him tomorrow."

Fury stared at her before slowly nodding his head. "I won't stop you."

"You wouldn't be able to."

"You're angry. I get that. But you have to understand that all we did was truly for your protection."

Sophia had heard that line enough times that she found herself focusing on breathing deeply, controlling her fury so as not to lash out with her magic. Very carefully, she picked up the box, holding it close to her chest as she spun on her heel, walking away from the Director. She stopped at the door, ready to leave without saying a word but she should behave herself with better decorum than that. It's what Coulson would have wanted. So she spoke to the door. "I appreciate SHIELD for caring for me."

"When will you be back?"

"That is a very good question."

She had left after that and now, still in her wrinkled dress but with leggings underneath so she could hike it up to her thighs, she stared at the box, nervous to open it.

A knock on her door startled her and Sophia called out for the visitor to come in. Steve pushed open the door, eyeing her state as he moved to sit next to her. "Thought I'd come see if you wanted to get dinner."

Sophia shook her head, eyes not leaving the box. Steve followed her gaze. "Who's Lena Tilden?"

"My mom," she whispered, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Have you opened it yet?"

Again, Sophia shook her head. "My whole life, I've wondered who I was, where I came from – and Fury's had the answers this entire time."

She was grateful that Steve seemed to know better than to try to make up some excuse for SHIELD or Fury. She knew he was still angry that they had been trying to use the tesseract to make weapons, that the government had tried to blow up New York. On their way to the funeral earlier, Steve had confided in her that he was going to take some time away from SHIELD, figure out this new life he had found himself in. It made sense; he had a lot of things to get used to now.

"One more puzzle piece then," Steve said. Reaching forward, he lifted the lid, just a bit, watching her. "You'll never know unless you dive in."

Taking a deep breath, Sophia nodded and Steve took the lid all the way off. There wasn't much in the box; just a yellowing folder, a journal with yellow pages, a tape recorder, and a gold circlet bracelet with an opal gemstone in the middle. Steve took out the folder and gently opening it. "Lena Tilden. Place of Birth: Sacramento, California. Born: April 19th, 1964. Died: September 12th, 1989. Current Employment: Librarian. That explains a lot," Steve added with a smile. He pulled a faded picture from the creases of the file, examining it before handing it to Sophia. "You two look a lot alike."

Delicately, Sophia took the photo. A pretty woman with a soft smile gazed up at her with soft brown eyes. Her hair was shorter than Sophia's, stopping just at her chin but she could see the slight resemblance. Setting the picture down, Sophia reached back into the box and pulled out the journal. It creaked under her fingertips so she pried open the pages gently, flipping through until something caught her eye.

 _November 15_ _th_ _, 1988,_

 _I met the strangest man today at work. He said his name was Trond, which is a name you don't hear around here. Very Nordic, very old. He's as obsessed with books as I am, it would seem. There's this insatiable thirst for knowledge in his eyes, in the way he talks. He had an old way of speaking as well, called me 'Lady'. It was refreshing._

 _I think he likes me._

 _November 27_ _th_ _, 1988,_

 _Trond came back again. I was shocked to find that I missed him, even though our previous conversation wasn't long. He spoke of far off places and told me he wished he could show me every single one, that he would take me away and make me a goddess if he could. You don't meet guys like this on earth. I'm starting to think it would make a lot more sense if he weren't of earth. It would explain a bit._

 _I should be scared but I'm not. Trond is gentle and kind and wise. Handsome, as well. He treats me like I already am a goddess. Like I'm something much more unique than a librarian._

 _December 16_ _th_ _, 1988,_

 _Trond says this is the last time he'll be able to visit me for a while. Something is happening back where he is from, a war. He must go and serve his king._

 _I will miss him._

Sophia continued to flip gently through the journal, trying to catch information she need while trying to not to feel like she was intruding. They hadn't known each other long, Lena and Trond but they feel in love fast, drawn together by a mutual love of knowledge, words, and books. There wasn't much after the December 16th entry though Lena made mention of strange men in suits watching her and strange things happening to her.

 _I knocked over a bookcase today. I didn't even touch it!_

Next to her, Steve pressed play on the tape recorder, causing Sophia to look up. The sound was garbled, probably do to dying batteries or the years but after a minute of two, they could clearly hear rustling paper.

"Your cooperation would make this a lot easier, Ms. Tilden," came a deep voice, male, older. Sophia felt herself deflate a little; it wouldn't have made much sense considering his ranking at the time, but she had been hoping to hear Coulson's voice.

"Let's see," a woman started, her voice slightly raspy, with a tinge of annoyance. "Your 'people', shoved me a car on my way home from work, have kept me locked up here for three days with no word or explanation. I'm afraid my 'cooperation' is probably the last thing you're going to get."

Sophia chuckled. "Sassy."

"We need you to explain to us the . . . things you've been able to do," the man explained, his voice accompanied by more rustling paper. "Moving objects with your mind, force fields. . . . You blew a hole in the wall of your apartment."

"The baby kicked," Lena offered.

The tape became even more garbled after that and Steve turned it off, casting Sophia an apologetic glance as he set it back in the box. She shrugged, not able to help the small smile on her face. "She was stubborn."

"Sounds familiar."

Sophia flipped to the last page of the journal, closing it quickly when she saw what was written. When she looked up, Steve was watching her cautiously. "It's – it's a note from my mom. To me."

"Aren't you going to read it?"

She stared down at the book before hesitantly handing it to Steve. He waited for a moment before carefully opening it to the last page, clearing his throat.

"Dear Sophia. I hope they name you Sophia. I hope they tell you what it means too. Sophia means wise and, if you're anything like your father, you'll be just that. The doctors here tell me that there may be complications with your birth, which should be any day now. I told them that if anything were to happen, they were to save you at all cost. I even made that man, Nicholas Fury, swear they find you a good home, somewhere where you'll grow up loved and safe, with a good education.

"I wish I could explain more to you. I wish I could tell you more about your father but the truth is, I'm not even sure myself and I'm afraid to divulge more to SHIELD than what they already think they know. But the truth is, your father came into my live like a hurricane and disappeared just as quickly. He was brilliant and inquisitive and I loved him. My hope is if I'm not with you, that, someday, he will come back and the two of you will find each other. Until then, be a good girl. Grow strong, grow smart, keep learning. If all that reaches you is this letter, than know that I loved you from the moment I knew of you and will never stop. Love, mom."

By the time Steve finished, Sophia was crying again, for what felt like the umpteenth time, her head pressed against her knees. Steve placed his hand on the back of her head, his fingers tangling slightly in her hair, and Sophia calmed down enough to realize that Steve had been there through the toughest parts of her life (which, yes, was just limited to this last four or so days). As much as she hadn't gotten everything her mother had wished for her, she had grown up strong and smart, continuously learning, and she felt loved. That mattered. Leaning over, she wrapped her arms around Steve's waist. He let out a little 'oomph' of surprise, but laughed softly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Thank you," Sophia whispered.

"Anytime." They sat quietly for a moment before Steve chuckled again. "You know, Thor asked my permission to take you to Asgard."

Sophia frowned slightly, sitting up. Part of her was relieved that he already knew, that she didn't have to awkwardly explain herself. The other part of her was a bit annoyed. "Why?"

"He figured he should ask someone. Said something about it being appropriate to ask family."

Sophia stared at Steve for a second, feeling another smile come to her face. They didn't know each other very well at all and yet, she knew Steve had her back and, if he needed it, she had his. Maybe they were family, in a way now, after everything. "What did you say?"

"That you were a grown woman who could make her own decisions."

"Damn straight."

"Are you going to go?"

The half-Asgardian stared down at her hands for a moment before meeting Steve's gaze, her smile widening. Steve matched her smile, reaching over to ruffle her hair.

"Guess I should pack."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks everyone! Sophia's story is far from over. I thought about continuing to make this a crossover but I'll probably leave it in the Avengers fandom. Thanks again for reading.**


	12. Asgard

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

 **A/N: Hello all! S/O to new readers: tamakaru2, opalwolf12, DimensionJumperAlpha, basilbeast, soar-above-the-rest, HBPCharleyTrouble, oviahara, Rosie loves jasper, , and heleana1. You all rock!**

* * *

Sophia stared up at the sky, trying to imagine what the rainbow bridge must look like, what Asgard looked like.

This was happening.

 _Deep breath_

She was going to leave SHIELD.

 _Deep Breath_

She was going to leave _Earth._

 _DEEP BREATH_

A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up to meet Thor's gaze. He smiled down at her reassuringly. "We will be leaving shortly, Lady Sophia."

Sophia nodded, matching his smile as he walked to the van to help Bruce with the tesseract.

"Welp." She turned to face Steve as he strode up to her. He grinned. "This is it."

"Don't remind me."

"You're going to be fine," he told her, placing a hand on top of her head. "Yea, this a big step. Probably bigger than you ever thought –"

"I always thought that maybe my dad was a civilian," Sophia rambled. "Probably something boring, like a greeting card designer or a taxidermist."

"—But it's going to be worth it," Steve finished, forcing her to look at him. "You understand that right?"

Sophia stared up at Steve. "I'm going to miss you."

Steve grinned. "You'll be too busy. . . . But I'll miss you too."

The Captain grunted as Sophia threw her arms around his middle, returning the hug with a laugh. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"You'll be back before you know it, Kid," Tony said, pulling her away from Steve, giving a few of her locs a tug.

"Still not my name," Sophia responded, swatting at his hand.

"Yeah, well, when you get back, we'll think of a cool superhero name for you. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of the Conjuress or Magic Girl or – or Psychoa. . . . I'll keep working on it," he added at her dubious look.

"You do that."

"Learn all you can up there," Natasha said as she, Clint and Banner joined them. "Grow stronger."

Sophia smiled. "I'll do my best."

"You'll be great, Soph," Clint told her, grinning. "Coulson would be proud. We're all proud."

Sophia stepped forward and hugged Clint, softer than she would ever hugged Steve, now that she knew where her strength came from. Natasha gave her shoulder a tight squeeze while Bruce gave her an awkward one arm hug.

"Lady Sophia," Thor came forward, announcing his presence. "Our chariot awaits."

She took a deep breath, gripping the straps of her backpack, glad that her apprehension had somewhat turned into excitement, even as she walked towards Loki, who stood shackled and muzzled. She thought the younger Asgardian was glaring at him but there was a wrinkle to his eyes that showed a bit of amusement. Sophia ignored him as Thor walked to them, holding the tesseract in its special case. He let go of one end, holding it out to Loki, who definitely glared at his adoptive brother before taking the end of the case offered.

"Place your hands over ours, milady," Thor instructed. Nodding, Sophia did as she was told, only hesitating slightly before placing her hand over Loki's. Thor met her gaze. "Your first trip may be a little – disconcerting."

Sophia nodded, taking a breath. Thor looked back to Loki and, at the same moment, they twisted the handles of the case. Looking up, Sophia watched as the sky opened and the world around her disappeared.

When her feet touched solid ground, Sophia stumbled and she probably would have gone all the way down if it weren't for the hard metal that she knocked her head against instead. Thor called her name, hands gripped her under her arms, standing her up straight. When she blinked the stars out of her eyes, she looked up, startled by the golden gaze staring back at her.

"Welcome to Asgard, Tronddottir," the golden eye man said, giving her a soft smile.

"Pleasure's mine," Sophia muttered, taking a breath to clear her head.

"Heimdall," Thor greeted, looking around. Sophia followed his gaze, surprised by the many soldiers that stood in the domed area awaiting them. "I see you were prepared for our arrival."

"Odin is prepared to receive you in the throne room."

"Than we won't keep him waiting any longer." Thor nodded to the soldiers and Sophia stepped back as they attached chains to Loki's shackles. He rolled his eyes as they pushed him front, escorting him. Thor held out an arm to Sophia which she took in as he walked her across the rainbow bridge.

Asgard was way more amazing than Loki had made it out to be. The gold towers and spires, the two moons. . . . Was this real life? Was this actually happening?

"You are taking this a lot easier than most would," Thor whispered to her.

"I'm freaking out internally, actually, I'm just pretty good at hiding it," Sophia explained in the rush of one breath.

Thor chuckled. "You haven't even seen your chambers yet . . . or the library," he added, laughing again when Sophia's eyes widened.

The walk to the palace was long but it gave Sophia the time to look around, to catalogue every building, every person. She ignored the people staring at her, even with Loki walking in chains before them. She knew she must look out of place in her jeans and sweatshirt (what else do you wear when traveling to an alien planet!), but she was finding it hard to care.

When they reached the palace, she and Thor hung back as the guards removed Loki's muzzle. He sent her a glance and a cocky smile. The last time they had spoken was still fresh at the forefront of her mind. She had gone with him, willingly. Had she explained to Steve what happened? She thought he might have already known but he never mentioned it. The thought of it still made her feel so incredibly guilty. She looked away as the doors opened and he was forced inside.

"Are we -?" Sophia started, looking up at Thor as the doors closed.

The Asgardian shook his head. "No. My father will wish to speak to him alone. Besides, it will be best if we wait to introduce you, I suppose."

"Surely I can receive some sort of introduction?" Sophia looked up as a beautiful woman walked (glided) towards them. Golden hair, blue eyes, as Sophia was beginning to realize was a common trait among all Asgardians besides Loki, she exuded every manner of sophistication and grace. This could only be the Queen Frigga. The woman smiled at her before turning to her son, holding out her hands. Thor moved forward, taking her hands and placing a kiss against her cheek. "It is good to see you, my son."

"You as well mother." Thor turned, holding out a hand to Sophia and gesturing her forward. "This is a dear friend of mine, Sophia Doe, a protector of Earth. I have brought her here because –"

"She is not just of Earth, is she." It wasn't a question. Frigga walked forward, this time holding out her hands to Sophia. Hesitantly, Sophia placed her hands in the other woman's. "Oh, Trond. That curious man. It has been many years since I have seen anything like you, child."

"So I've heard," Sophia mumbled, not really sure what else to say.

"Will father allow her to stay?" Thor asked. "She knows nothing of her heritage or of the power that flows through her."

"He will not have much of a choice. She is a daughter of Asgard, after all, even if only partially. Besides," Frigga added, with a slight smile, "I'm sure I will be able to get him to see reason."

Sophia smiled back. She was really beginning to like Frigga.

"Mother, are Sif and the Warriors three near? I assumed they would be waiting."

Frigga turned to her son, never loosing Sophia's hands. "I am afraid marauders have turned their attention on Vanaheim. The battle has gone on many hours now. If you wish to join," she said, noticing the hesitation in her son's gaze, "I will be sure that Lady Sophia is settled."

"I could not do that," Thor argued. "She knows no one here. She –"

"Is right here and really good at figuring things out, if you hadn't noticed," Sophia interrupted. "You're, like, the heir to the throne, right? It's your job to rush into battle. I'll be fine," she assured him.

Thor hesitated again before he nodded, moving forward to place a kiss to Sophia's head. "I may be gone awhile but I will be sure to check on you."

"She will be just fine," Frigga told him, patting Sophia's hand.

Thor nodded, taking a few steps back. He swung his hammer over his head, flying out of the palace and back towards the Bifrost. Sophia felt her heart sink as he left. Alone in a foreign place for the first time in her life. She was very frightened, though she tried to put on a brave face.

"I will ensure your safety here, Sophia," Frigga said, interrupting her thoughts. "You will find a home here, even if just for a while."

Sophia smiled at her. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

The doors to the throne room opened and the guards appeared first, still leading Loki by his chains. He still wore that same damn cocky smile but when his eyes past over Frigga, Sophia thought she saw a bit of sadness, maybe even fear.

Before he could say a word, the guards were turning him sharply away from them, leading him down the hallway. Sophia looked up at Frigga whose eyes followed Loki as he disappeared. The older woman turned to Sophia and smiled, forced as it was. "Time for you to meet the Allfather."

Frigga kept Sophia's hand in the crook of her arm as the guard held the door to the throne room open. If she had thought the city was an architecture's dream, the throne room was the icing on the cake. Ornate columns, the golden stairs that led up to that incredibly, impressive throne. The man sitting in that throne, though his head was downcast, looked equally as impressive and intimidating, long, grey hair, gold and silver armor. Just like Frigga, without even speaking, he exuded this air of regality and strength.

"My Lord," Frigga called out, announcing their presence.

The Allfather looked up, his one eye glaring in their direction as they walked ever closer. Sophia had the sudden urge to run, head back to the Bifrost and hurry home. "Frigga, I cannot deal with much more today. What other riffraff has Thor brought from Earth?"

"Odin, my Lord," Frigga responded, her tone holding a bit of a warning. "This is Lady Sophia . . . Tronddottir," she added meaningfully.

Odin sat up straight, his one eye focused directly on Sophia. As he stood from his throne, approaching them, she was reminded of another one-eyed man who had the ability to put all the intensity of a scowl in his one eye. The closer he got, the more Sophia was reminded of Fury and she bit the inside of her cheek to remind herself not to say anything foolish that could get her banned . . . or executed.

He examined her, his footsteps echoing throughout the room. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, er, Thor invited me."

"For what purprose?"

"I, uh." Sophia glanced up at Frigga, who was watching her husband, a slight angry gleam in her eye but she didn't speak up. If Odin was anything like Fury, you had to know how to say the right thing, the thing that would make them think . . . as well as put them even more in the position of power. "I don't know who I am? I spent my whole life not knowing anything about myself or these – these gifts I have. Thor brought me here so that I could learn those things and I'd like the opportunity to do so . . . with your permission of course."

Odin continued to stare at her before his gaze switched to his wife. "I do not want to make it a habit of inviting mortals to stay in Asgard."

"She's not just a mortal, my King," Frigga argued. "She is a daughter of one of your trusted warriors. We can make an exception for her."

The way she said it made it more of an order than a suggestion and Sophia found herself looking back and forth between the King and Queen, their standoff making her feel a bit awkward. Perhaps it would just be easier to go back home, study her powers on her own and then –

"If she causes any trouble," Odin started.

"She won't, will you darling?" Frigga asked, turning to Sophia.

"Oh, er, no of course not, Your Majesty, sir," Sophia answered.

Odin nodded his head, turning away from them. "Very well."

Frigga squeezed Sophia's hand, pulling her towards the throne room doors. "Come along dear. I will show you around while Hilde prepares your room."

Still in a state of shock and disbelief, Sophia allowed the Queen to show her around Asgard.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for how long this took me, folks! I've been busy with work and homework. I'll try to update more regularly.**


	13. Teacher

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

 **A/N: Hello everyone! I apologize for this long wait! I was busy with work and homework but now, with summer break, I should have a bit more time! Thanks to new readers: Strange Chimp, taytay4282, HeartLuvAnimeGirl, SilverCrews, Slyshy21, , Katia Paola421, NeedtoRead10, fitzsimmons27, Asexual Potato, Strangeduck23, and WinterWillows.**

* * *

Odin stared out the window of his bedroom, eyes fixed on the horizon. Behind him, Queen Frigga stood quietly, patiently.

"I don't agree with this," Odin muttered, shaking his head.

"So you've mentioned," Frigga responded, ruefully.

"You trust too easily. This could be nothing but a grave mistake."

Taking a breath, Frigga walked towards her husband, placing an arm on his shoulder. "I'm not saying this a free pass. But it's a chance . . . for the both of them."

Odin sighed for perhaps the twentieth time since this conversation had begun. "I don't believe I will ever understand you completely."

"Good. That means I can still keep you on your toes." Leaning up slightly, Frigga placed a kiss against his cheek. "Now, I should go and meet with our guest."

Sophia stared at herself in the mirror, at the flowing green gown, not unlike the one Loki had given her in the vision. Somehow, the maid Frigga had assigned to her (not an idea she was incredibly comfortable with), Freydis, had managed to twist all of her dreads up into a giant bun on her head. Now Freydis stood behind her, tying the ribbons on the back of her dress. The woman met her eyes in the mirror, smiling. "You look beautiful, my lady."

"You can just call me, Sophia, or Sophie," she told her, matching her smile. "Especially if we're going to be together for a while."

"You are the guest of the Royal Family,"Freydis responded. "Anything else would be improper . . . my Lady."

Sophia held back a sigh, knowing that it probably wasn't going to do much good to argue. In just her evening wandering the palace with Queen Frigga, she had realized just how in its own genre this place was. Queens, Kings, Princes, royal guards and servants . . . it was like she had stepped straight into a novel. It was beautiful, it was overwhelming . . . it was home. The night before, Frigga had had Freydis bring Sophia scrolls and books, all marked up with her father's handwriting. He had truly been a scholar, an amazing man. Sophia had spent much of the night just reading what her father had written. More than once she had come across her mother's name.

A knock on the door in the living quarters (honestly, the rooms they had given her were so huge that Sophia's whole dorm back at SHIELD headquarters could fit in here three times) had Freydis hurrying to the front door.

"Your Highness!" Freydis said, her voice taking on the reverence that made Sophia realize that Queen Frigga was paying her a visit. Picking up the bottom of her dress, she left her bedroom and moved into the living quarters. Frigga was thanking Freydis, smiling when she saw Sophia.

"What a wonderful job you've done, Freydis," Frigga said, moving towards Sophia. "This is a beautiful color on her."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Would you do me a favor and retrieve some tea from the kitchens? There is something I'd very much like to discuss with Sophia."

"Of course, Your Majesty." With that, Freydis left the room, taking Sophia's happy feelings with her as well. Though Frigga was smiling as she gestured for Sophia to take a seat, Sophia wasn't quite sure if she should be excited about what they were going to 'discuss'. Maybe Odin had decided that he didn't want her here without Thor to keep an eye on her. If that was the case, she would handle herself with dignity and decorum.

"My dear –"

"Is Odin kicking me out?" Sophia interrupted, the blood rushing to her face when she realized she had interrupted.

Surprisingly, Frigga laughed. "No, no, of course not! I apologize. I did not mean to worry you. Though," she added, her smile dropping slightly, "what I have come here to discuss with you may not be something you will appreciate."

"Oh. Okay."

"I have a proposition to make," Frigga started, reaching forward to take Sophia's hand. "Your magic, the power I can sense tingling underneath your skin, is incredible. I have honestly not seen a power this great in anyone else . . . except one other."

Sophia felt her heart clench. "I'm assuming you mean Loki."

What did that mean? Were Odin and Frigga worried that she would turn into Loki the longer she stayed here? How did he even end up the way he was? What made him such a villain? Frigga gave Sophia another small smile. "Yes. He is a powerful sorcerer, a quick study. He surpassed his lessons when he was very young. . . . I believe – I know he would make a great teacher."

Sophia took her hand back, leaning away from the queen. It was rude, she knew, especially after all Frigga had done for her, but there was no way she could do what she was asking of her. "No."

Queen Frigga seemed to understand, her eyes downcast. "I know it is a lot to take in and what I am asking is not fair at all. . . . But Loki is a talented. After years of training, his talent exceeds most if not all and we would of course take precautions to ensure your safety. He would be able to mold your gifts into something much better than I could."

"He tortured my world, he killed people . . . he killed my friend," Sophia argued.

"I am not asking you to forgive him. I do not approve of anything he has done . . . but he is my son. All a mother wishes is to see their children be happy and to succeed. What Loki did was unforgivable, but I was – I am hoping that teaching you will help him learn some compassion."

"I don't know if he understands that word," Sophia muttered before she realized she had said it. "I'm sorry. I just –"

"I understand." Frigga stood, placing a hand on Sophia's cheek. "Please do me a favor . . . think on it. Do not say no so easily. If you do refuse, I would be honored to be your teacher . . . but I think it would be an experience, a wonderful one."

Frigga leaned down and kissed the top of Sophia's head before she headed out of the living quarters, passing a very confused Freydis on the way. "Did I do something wrong?" the maid asked.

Sophia sighed, placing her head on her knees.

This was not how she expected her visit to go.

* * *

Loki lay back on the lounge chair, throwing a ball into the air, catching it. The repetitive motion kept his mind focused on something other than his current situation. It had only been three weeks since he had been returned to Asgard. Three weeks of the only visitor being his mother when she could get away from Odin long enough to project to see him, which wasn't often. Three weeks without sunlight, in this dank, dark dungeon. Odin was smart; being locked up here was probably the worst punishment. How long would it take him to go insane? 1000 years? 3000? He'd lose his ability to grasp reality, slowly but surely, as he had too much pride to resort to using illusions to keep himself company. What good would that do? He would basically still be talking to himself.

He was going to go mad here.

Footsteps on the stairs made him sit up, just slightly. What robbing thief had the Einhenjar captured today? Rather than stand fully, Loki created an illusion of himself, one that projected disdain and confidence just in the way he stood by the golden barrier. Locked up as he was, he was loathed to let them see him with his guard down.

He saw her slippers first, then the trailing of a gown fit for a Lady. Behind her, just a few steps behind were two Einhenjar, neither of which Loki recognized but he did recognize her.

Sophia Tronddottir. She walked with purpose, coming to stand in front of his cage, facing lifting so that she could look up at him.

There was something different about her, and it wasn't in the way she was dressed or the intricate twist of her hair on top of her head. No, he realized as he got up and kneeled beside his illusion and be at eye level with her. It was her eyes. Gone was the innocence, the naivety and uncertainty. Her eyes were those of someone who gone to battle, of someone who had lost a loved one. There was hatred in those brown eyes, hatred obviously directed at him.

She looked like a true Asgardian.

"My, my," Loki's illusion said, looking down at her. "If this isn't a lovely surprise."

"Leave us," Sophia said, her voice commanding.

The Einhenjar exchanged a glance. "We were ordered to accompany you, My Lady," one of them spoke.

"And you have," Sophia responded, looking to him with a soft smile. "I'll be fine. It's not like he can do much from in there."

Her guards exchanged another glance before they nodded and ascended back up the stairs, leaving Sophia to meet Loki's illusion's eyes again. The illusion, smirked. "What brings you to my dank, dark cell?"

"You know," she started, crossing her arms, "your illusion back on earth was much more convincing."

And then her eyes slid over to meet Loki's. He let his illusion disappear, a slight frown on his real face to match the small smirk on hers. He could go into how the cell's magic dampened his own powers but decided against it. He stood then, crossing his arms like hers. "You never answered my question. Come to gawk at the spectacle Odin has made me?"

She bit her bottom lip, squinting her eyes at him. "This was a mistake. I can't even stand to look at you for more than three minutes."

With that, she started to turn, moving back towards the stairs. Loki scoffed. "That's it? No scornful phrases? No gloating?"

Sophia stopped, looking over her shoulder at him. "Now why would I need to gloat when I'm the one standing out here, and you're the one behind a glass wall?"

Loki's frown deepened. Cocky little mortal, wasn't she? Still . . . three weeks without any sort of stimulating conversation was a long time for him. "You won't at least enlighten me? You came all this way."

Turning back to face him, Sophia approached the golden walls again. "I don't owe you anything."

"No you don't. . . . And yet, here you are."

Sophia kept her gaze on him for a moment before she reached down to gather up the bottom of her skirts. Loki stepped back, unable to contain his surprise as she stepped through the golden barrier and into his cell. "How did you –?"

"Your mother," Sophia spoke, crossing her arms again, "seems to think that you would be a better teacher for my magic than she would. As much as I trust her, I don't trust you. So, if I'm going to respect your mother, you need to give me a reason to take a chance on you."

Loki stared at her, trying to recall what all he had learned from her in that brief amount of time he had spent with her on Midgard. She was extremely caring, just like all of those so called 'heroes'. She worried about her friends and the people she had decided to protect. A smirk came to his face.

"You were surprisingly skilled during the battle," he started. "Especially with that being your first time using your powers."

Sophia's face didn't change, her posture stiff. "Your point?"

Loki shrugged. "It was incredibly lucky, is all. The Agents who held me captive, they spoke of you saving a little boy from a falling building. I'm surprised he wasn't crushed."

Her arms fell to her sides, though she tried to keep her face blank. "What are you –?"

"You, my dear, are an explosion waiting to happen," he continued before she could interrupt again. "I'm sure you've noticed how your emotions affect your powers. In the midst of battle, anything can happen. Maybe you get lucky and save everyone again. Maybe you get scared, lose focus or energy and your shields fall. Maybe a stray bullet catches your dear captain in the head or maybe the building falls and crushes a different little boy while you escape with just a few bruises. Maybe your overwhelmed and you destroy everything within a block of your battle. If you don't train them and take control, your powers will consume you and all those around you."

Sophia stared at him for a moment before she crossed her arms again and cast her gaze to the ground. She was silent for a moment before she finally dragged her eyes back up to his. "Four hours. Four hours every day, in the company of Einhenjar. Frigga is having a bracelet crafted that will significantly dampen your powers and you will wear it from the time you step of this cell. And I better be as great as freaking Harry Potter by the time you're done training me."

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it. Do we have a deal?" She stuck her hand out waiting.

Containing his grin, Loki took her hand. "I must say, I am surprised you trust me."

"I'm surprised that you think I do," she responded, snatching away her hand.

"Then why are you taking the risk?"

Sophia spun on her heel and stepped down out of her cell. She took a deep breath as she turned to face him again. "I never had a mom but I watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books. A mom's love is powerful. That Harry Potter kid? His mom's love kept him from dying. And in most movies, mom's have this way of looking at their kids, whether they've scored the winning touchdown or whether they got detention. That's the look your mom has when she talks about you. She loves you _so_ much, even though you're a maniac, even though you don't deserve it. I'm taking a risk for her, because for some reason, she thinks you're worth it. . . . I'll see you next week," she added, leaving the dungeons.

Loki watched her go, a frown on his face.

"Sentiment," he muttered, shaking his head and returning to his couch.

* * *

 **A/N: I. Am. The. Worst. I apologize for how ridiculously long this took me! School and work have been absolutely ridiculous! I hope this makes up for it and I will try to post a chapter every week from now on! Thanks everyone!**


	14. Day 1-7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Marvel, MCU or any recognizable characters.**

 **A/N: Hello there! Thank you to my old readers for being so patient and thank you to new readers: Avalongirl55, Angi Marie, wofimus prime, Jenng612, darkest passion of love, Victoria cullen35, , and AnUnfinishedSymphony. You all rock!**

* * *

 _ **Day 1**_

"Whoa."

Sophia stood in the storehouse of the arena, looking around at the assortment of weapons, all ornately decorated. Knives, shields, swords and . . .

She gasped, her hands wrapping around a silver bo-staff, pulling it off the shelf, examining the sketches on the ends, leaves and swirls. It was beautiful, and she found she didn't regret her collapsible staff being crushed by the debris back on Earth.

Stepping back from the shelves, she twirled the staff above her head, practicing a few of her stances (which were definitely easier to manage in the short, rugged cloth skirt, leggings and top). The staff was lightweight, despite what it was made from and well balanced. It felt like it was made for her.

"You found a weapon." Sophia turned around, watching as Loki walked in, two Einjenhar on either side of him. She wasn't used to seeing him in such lightweight clothing, clearly meant for combat or training, tighter fitting without too much armor attached, no cape. There were chains around his ankles and his wrists, that chain connected to one around his neck. Glinting just behind the shackles on his wrists, two golden bracelets winked at her, the ones his mother had made to stifle his magic. He smiled at her. "It suits you."

Turning to face him, she planted the end into the ground, standing up straight. "I'm going to assume that wasn't an accident."

"Well you are a bright girl." Loki moved to the opposite shelf, his chains rattling as he pulled another, plainer staff down, juggling it in his hands. "Why don't we spar?"

Sophia quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me magic?"

"You are an Asgardian. While what I saw on Midgard was impressive, you can use some more practice. You should be among the best of the warriors on your planet."

"I have fought with the best warriors on my planet."

"You _kept up_. You should be better. . . . Though," he added, lifting his arms, "it'll be rather difficult to get you there with these."

She frowned, placing a hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?"

"Most of what we will be practicing later is going to require much more movement. The chains are going to be a hinderance regardless. Besides, there are worst shackles," he muttered, frowning at the gold bracelets.

Sighing, Sophia glanced at the Einjenhar. "Please uncuff him."

The soldiers glanced at each other (they did that a lot which meant she must be breaking a lot of rules; not that that was new) before they moved, unshackling Loki. He shook his limbs once the chains were removed, though the gold bracelets still bounced on his wrist, a reminder that he wasn't that much of a threat (with 'that much' being used very loosely). Loki gestured towards the arena. "Shall we?"

Gripping tight to her staff, walked out into the open arena. Loki followed behind her, the Einjenhar behind him. She moved to the center and turned to face Loki, who spun his own staff once in his hand, a slight smirk on his face.

"Have you ever even practiced with a staff before?" Sophia asked.

"A few times," Loki admitted. "Daggers are more my speed. We'll practice those later. Shall we begin?"

Sophia nodded, holding up her staff. Loki did the same, crossing his staff with hers. She rolled her shoulders, frowning at his smirk. Quick, she swung at him with the lower part of her staff. She underestimated how fast Loki might be though, as his staff meet hers, blocking it. She darted back as he aimed at her midsection, blocking him as well but just as fast she had to raise her staff above her head, lowering it again to block it as he aimed at her knees. His staff crashed down on the top of hers again, knocking it out of her hands.

She looked up at Loki shocked as he smiled, sliding his foot under her staff and flipping it up into the air, catching it. "I'm a little rusty," he replied, tossing her the staff.

"Ha, ha, you're so funny," she responded.

"Your eyes tend to dart to where you plan to attack," he told her, placing the end of his staff into the ground. "It makes you predictable."

"You said I did well," Sophia argued.

"Against men who were under mind control and not trained as you are, nor did they have half your strength. Against a much more skilled opponent," he added, gesturing towards himself, earning an eye roll from Sophia, "you're moves are noticeable. Show me your forms."

Clearing her throat, Sophia backed away from Loki, twirling her staff in one hand. She stopped when she was in the middle of the arena, turning to face her instructor (God, it was weird to call him that).

Straightening her back, she placed the end of her staff between her feet, bowing towards Loki. He nodded and she looked away, taking a deep breath. She turned her left foot out, kicking her staff up with her right foot into her left hand. Hoping forward, she landed in a lunge, raising the staff up and then down. She stepped back and kicked out her right foot, turning the staff diagonally and jabbing it downward.

If there was one thing she knew she was good at, it was her forms. She had spent enough time practicing by herself to have gotten this good. When she finished, she bowed and turn to face Loki again, a grin on her face.

His face was blank. "Sloppy."

"What!?" she yelled incredulous.

"You heard me. Do it again."

Practically growling, Sophia returned to the middle of the arena.

* * *

Fourty-seven times.

He made her repeat her forms forty-seven times before the Einhenjar approached with his chains. By the last time, Sophia could feel sweat forming on her forehead and all Loki managed to say was, "Better."

God, she wished she could crack him upside the head with her staff.

"Tomorrow, we'll continue working on your forms," Loki told her as they continued to place the chains on him. "Eventually we'll be able to spar again."

"You're going to make this as stressful and tough as possible, aren't you." It wasn't a question. Sophia knew the answer.

Loki gave her a very innocent smile. "Now why would you think that?"

The Einhenjar led him away. Sophia took another deep breath; one of a million during that four-hour session. This was going to be the death of her.

* * *

 _ **Day 7**_

Sophia jerked back as Loki swung the staff at her. She spun her staff over her head, blocking his next blow, twisting it again to block another one.

This was about the third time they had sparred since he had deemed her forms 'good enough' by his standards. Four whole days of doing her forms repeatedly, with a few new ones thrown in by Loki. She did feel stronger, she would begrudgingly admit, her moves faster and fiercer.

Frigga tried very hard not to look smug after Sophia's fifth day of training.

"Good," Loki said as he advanced at her, staff swinging down at her head.

Sophia ducked, rolling out of the way. Loki twisted, turning to face her and she took the opportunity to swipe at his ankle. Her staff connected and Loki went down, his staff rolling away from him. She jumped to her feet, hovering over him with her staff directed at his neck. "Ha!" She yelled as Loki held his hands up in surrender.

"Not bad," Loki replied, smirking. She felt a tap on her back and Loki on the ground disappeared. Sophia turned around facing the real Loki, his staff angled at her.

Sophia placed her hand against his chest, pushing him backwards, startling him a bit. "You said no magic!"

"I wanted to be able to watch you an action," Loki defended himself. "I never used it for my advantage either. Just watched. You were stunning."

She tucked a loose dread back into her ponytail holder, still frowning at Loki. "When are you going to teach me that?"

Loki chuckled. "We still have time till we get there. We'll finish early today, as a reward."

'Early' meant that they only had a half-hour left. Sophia scoffed. "You're so generous."

"Take this time to look over the daggers in the storage closet," Loki said as he walked towards the Einhenjar. "That's where we'll pick up tomorrow."

"You're not going to throw daggers at me, are you?" Sophia asked, only half-joking as she walked with him.

"Only a few."

Sophia couldn't help but snort at that, even though he was probably serious. She tried to straighten her face as he glanced at her, an eyebrow quirked. The God of Mischief just smirked at her, letting the Einjenhar cuff him without question. She watched as he walked away, her lips twisting in contemplation. It had only been seven days, but she was already finding herself looking forward to the hours when they trained together, just slightly. She didn't want to get carried away thinking she actually liked being tortured for four straight hours, but it was nice to have someone to pass the time with, considering the only other people she knew here were Frigga (who was a Queen and therefore busy) and Freydis (who was too much a good servant to really have conversations).

She still didn't trust Loki as far as she could throw him (which wasn't far).

She realized though, in those seven days with him, that she didn't know anything about him. She knew he was a megalomaniac who destroyed a fair portion of her city and killed a lot of people, a few of them see knew, but the Loki before, she knew nothing about. When he walked down the hallways, the Einjenhar by his side, the other Aesir avoided his eye, or they glared at him. Hadn't he been a prince before all this, the second-born? What had he done, who had he been before he wound up on Earth? Why did people here hate him so?

Sophia cursed her curious nature, knowing that she was going to try to find out.

* * *

 **A/N: So I decided to take the 'Day' format for training with Loki. We may not see all of it but this will be a way to see Sophia get stronger (as well as maybe some friendship fluff, cause God knows Loki needs a friend lol) without taking too much time before we move on to** _ **The Dark World.**_ **Thanks for reading!**


	15. Day 12 and 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of MCU or its characters.**

 **A/N: Hello! S/O to new readers: Torirose136, KindaBlue, avsablink, Amis55, Rosalix Archangel, smolstan, Luke Amranvor, and honeyduck!**

* * *

 **Day 12**

Sophia lay on her bed, watching Freydis flit around her room, cleaning. She was utterly exhausted and frustrated. Daggers were not her thing. She thanked God (or was it more appropriate to say Odin? Valhalla?) for her quick healing ability because she cut herself enough to look like a carved pumpkin throwing those dangers knives and having them thrown at her.

It didn't help that Loki had been in a rather foul mood these past couple of days. It was, obviously, most likely to do with his imprisonment or perhaps his lack of contact with anyone (though Sophia suspected that Frigga visited him as he always had new books to read). His training had become more rigorous than it was on her first couple of days.

"Freydis, may I ask you something?" she murmured, propping her chin in her hand.

"Yes, My Lady?" the other woman asked.

"What can you tell me about Loki?"

Freydis paused, turning from her cleaning to meet Sophia's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what was he like? Before all this," she added, sitting up.

"Hmmm. I honestly do not know if I have much to tell you. He has always loved to play tricks, most of them usually harmless, though one time, when they were younger, I recall he stabbed Prince Thor. He has always just sort of been there, the second Prince."

"So . . . what happened to make him so angry?"

Freydis bit her lip. "I should not be gossiping."

Sophia knew better than to keep pushing her semi-friend. Freydis tended to get very nervous. "That's alright. . . . You wouldn't happen to know how to request an audience with the Queen, would you?"

* * *

An hour or so later, Sophia found herself sitting with Queen Frigga, the woman staring into her cup with a slight frown on her face. Sophia twisting her fingers in her lap. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It is quite alright, dear," Frigga reassured her. "You – you should know. Valhalla knows that all of Asgard probably knows his story by now. My son, Loki . . . he is troubled, perhaps he has always been. You see, he is not truly my son, not by birth."

Sophia let that process a moment. "He's adopted."

"In a way. . . . Many, many years ago, Odin found him, brought him here from Jotunheim. The realm of the Frost Giants," she added, though Sophia didn't want to admit that did little to clear it up. "We took him in as one of our own but we never divulged his heritage. But I loved him, so very much while Odin doted on Thor. Loki – I think he always felt like he lived in his brother's shadow. He wanted to be King so badly, wanted to prove himself. But he made mistakes, he went about everything in the absolute worst way and finding out who – what – he was, I am sure did not help. He almost killed Thor, almost destroyed Jotunheim. . . . And then at the end of it, he just disappeared, fell into the abyss. I thought he died, we all did before he turned up in your world. He will not divulge what happened to him, though Thor mentioned something about him making a deal, a deal for Midgard and the Tesseract, but I think it must have been awful."

There were tears in the Queen's eyes. Sophia felt bad for broaching an obviously touchy subject but she also felt slightly angry. She knew what it was like to have your heritage hidden from you and that had only been for twenty-four years for her. She couldn't imagine the impact of learning who you are after thousands of years.

"I will never try to excuse his actions, here in Asgard or on Earth," Frigga continued. "But I am old enough to know that we played some part in it, Odin and I. I ask a lot of you, but please be kind to him. As kind as you can."

Sophia wanted to tell the Queen that there was no being kind to Loki. Sophia wanted to tell her it wasn't her job to make Loki a better person. She wanted to tell her that Loki was not her project to fix.

But she didn't say any of that.

"I'll do my best."

* * *

 **Day 13**

"What is wrong with you?"

Sophia frowned around her cut finger in her mouth. "I'm sorry, next time I'll control my bleeding."

"You are melancholy and have been distracted for the past hour," Loki responded, glaring at her. "Tell me and don't lie."

Sophia met his angry gaze, wondering how much she wanted to divulge. After her discussion with Frigga, where she was able to get a little bit more information about what happened between Thor and Loki before the younger brother ended up on Earth, she went to the palace library. There she found scrolls and books on Jotunheim and the Frost Giants. A lot of the books read like scary stories, tales parents read to their children to get them to behaved. What that must have been like, finding out that you were the monster under the bed.

That you were something people were afraid of.

She shrugged, moving past Loki to pull the daggers out from the target she had managed to hit. "I just – realized we weren't so different after all."

There was a pause. Sophia turned to find Loki directly behind her, practically seething. "What did _she_ tell you?"

"Oh, back off," she said, earning a raised eyebrow. "I was going to have to find out more about you sooner or later. I chose sooner."

"And you went to Frigga before you thought to ask me?"

"Would you have told me the truth?"

Loki opened his mouth but didn't respond, snapping his lips shut and crossing his arms, pouting like a child. Sophia crossed her own arms, frowning at him. She should be careful, she knew, cautious of angering him but she wasn't scared. Had she ever been scared? She thought back to the Helicarrier and to New York and realized, no, she never felt like she was in danger with him. He intrigued her, like a book she had never read before (which was saying something).

"Don't worry," Sophia told him, marching back to the line she was supposed to throw the daggers from. "I'm not going to start pitying you, or expecting you to change. _I_ didn't find out my heritage until later on in life and you don't see me destroying everything in sight. Who you are shouldn't matter. It's what you do _because_ of who you are that should. But I understand you a bit more."

 _TWACK!_

"I understand people being afraid of you."

 _TWACK!_

"I understand wanting to know why you were lied to."

 _TWACK!_

"I understand being angry."

 _TWACK!_

The last dagger, to her surprise, struck the target dead center. She turned to face Loki again, her hands on her hips. His arms were still crossed but he was watching her, his frown more contemplative than angry. "You know what I am and you are not afraid."

"I wasn't raised on stories of Frost Giants. I don't know what to be afraid of."

For a moment, Loki didn't move but then she noticed his skin tone changing, darkening to blue. Lines and designs decorated his skin, like they were carved on. His eyes though were what struck her, gazing at her like alarms, bright and red. She had been noticing his eyes more since they had been spending time together. Here in Asgard, his eyes were green but on Earth they had been blue which had made her think of the agents she had fought and their blue eyes, which gave her a terrible thought. Though Loki had seemed in control of his actions, had he been just as under the control of the scepter as the others and if so, who had been controlling him?

It shouldn't, and wouldn't, forgive what he had done but it made it even more sad, that his hatred and anger had been so easily influenced and boosted by someone, or something else.

Still . . . .

She walked towards Loki, could practically feel the cold radiating off him as she looked up into his eyes. It was oddly beautiful, the combination of his black hair, blue skin, and red eyes. If she could have taken a picture, she would have. "Why wouldn't you have told me?"

"You are the only one in this miserable realm who does not know of my heritage and my past . . . transgressions." He looked away from her as the blue faded away, covered by the enchantment that made him look Aesir. "It was peaceful."

For someone who specialized in lies, that sounded oddly truthful. "I still don't like you."

A corner of Loki's mouth lifted slightly as his green eyes met her brown ones. "For one thing, not many."

Sophia found that her feelings hadn't changed, like there wasn't a deeper dislike for him. Just this begrudging understanding of his situation. She turned away from him, going to retrieve the daggers once more. "If it makes you feel better, you have never made me feel afraid."

He didn't respond to that, but out of the corner of her eye she thought she might have seen him smile.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize again for the wait between chapters! This week I am going to try and start pre-writing so that you all don't have to wait so long! That being said, let me know what you all think! How do you like it? I'd love the feedback!**


	16. Day 33-57

**Disclaimer: I do not own the MCU or any of its characters.**

 **A/N: S/O to new reader: possumusnow! Thank you!**

* * *

 **Day 33**

Drops of sweat began to bead on Sophia's forehead.

"Concentrate."

She took another deep breath, her nails digging into her knees.

"Concentrate."

Her body was starting to feel sore, though she wasn't moving.

" _Concentrate."_

"I'm trying!" Sophia yelled, her eyes springing open to glare at Loki who sat across from her. He was frowning at her, his green eyes dark. "You reminding me to do so every five seconds isn't helping."

"Maybe I wouldn't need to if you took my advice," Loki argued. "I can feel your mind racing. What is the problem?"

"I'm sorry if Astral Projection doesn't come as easily to some of us as it does to others. It's not even something I think I can do! I've never done it before."

"Have you ever tried?"

"Well, no. Look," Sophia said, frustrated with Loki's smirk, "why don't you show me?"

The smirk fell from Loki's face and he held up one arm, reminding her of the bracelets that sat there. "I do not have enough power to show you."

Sophia bit the inside of her cheek. The past month had been spent on weapons, learning different techniques for her staff, daggers, and even a sword (which Sophia secretly loved because it made her feel like a character from Lord of the Rings). She had gotten stronger, through the physical exercise and had even tried dueling with Sif, which she had regretted immediately (the other woman had whooped her good but at least she complimented Sophia's technique). Today was their first day working with magic, though it felt as if Loki had jumped to the hardest thing he could teach her. He had argued that it was one of the first things his mother had taught him. The bracelets, however, severely hindered how much he could do, which Sophia had been worried about. Though she knew, obviously, why he had to wear the bracelets, she almost wished she could see the full extent of his powers.

Almost.

"This technique is not just about pushing your magic outwards," Loki spoke, drawing her from her thoughts. "It's about focusing on what's inside and then projecting that. Give me your hands."

Sophia held out her hands, expecting him to wrap his long fingers around her palms, but he just held his hands underneath hers. She watched as their magic combined like it had in New York, the green and blue waves floating between their hands.

"Focus on this," Loki murmured, his voice quiet and soothing. "Focus on what this feels like, the feeling of your magic pulsing within. Focus on your strength. And stop being afraid of your powers."

"I'm not –"

"You are. You always have been. I can feel the restraint, the box you've placed your gift in to keep it weak. Even what you did on Midgard, that wasn't your full strength. And you are strong, you must believe that, and _embrace it_."

"But – but I don't know what it can do." It was a hard thing to admit. She was used to putting on a sure face, for Fury, for Coulson, for all the agents who watched her apprehensively. Here she didn't need to do that, not when Loki already seemed to understand her better than she did. She was scared. She had never tapped into her powers like this before and the thought of doing so terrified her.

"Than the only logical thing to do is figure it out."

Biting her lip, Sophia closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath. Instinctively, her mind reached out for her power but drew back when she got too close.

Loki tsked. "Don't fight it."

Again, Sophia let her mind reach out for her power but this time she sunk into it, a small gasp leaving her mouth. It was stronger than she thought it would be and that scared her. She could feel her heart fluttering against her rib cage. "Loki –"

"Hush, it won't hurt you. Pull it towards you. . . . Breathe in."

She did so and the noise around her seemed to stop, the only sound being the air filling her lungs and Loki's voice.

"Breathe out."

Her body didn't feel like it belonged to her anymore. She could still feel the ground underneath her, the heat of Loki's hands hovering under her hands, but it felt as if it wasn't actually happening to her.

"Now _._ "

Sophia let go.

She opened her eyes . . . or at least she thought she had. She looked up and around at the castle, which towered above the training grounds, down at her hands, which looked as solid as they ever had . . . and then further down, at Loki, who was smirking at her.

Her body still sat in front of him, legs cross, hands out with her palms down, her head lolling on her chest.

There was jolt as everything caught up to her. The world seemed to rush around her as she fell back into reality, into her natural plane of existence. Her real eyes opened, meeting Loki's. "I –"

The world tilted to the left and her head hit the ground as she passed out.

* * *

 **Day 35**

She slept for a day and a half.

When she woke up, she was back in her room and Freydis screamed when she saw she was awake, running off to alert Frigga. The Queen told her that she had over exerted herself, that astral projection wasn't an easy task to accomplish for someone who didn't have complete control of her powers.

"I am surprised you were able to accomplish anything at all," Frigga had told her when she explained what had happened.

When she felt strong enough to move again, she made her way down to the dungeons, her skirts trailing across the ground. When she got to Loki's cell, he was reading a book, relaxing on the lounge chaise in the corner. She crossed her arms, watching her for a moment. "You said that astral projection was the first spell you learned."

Loki turned a page in his book, not meeting her gaze. "I lied."

"Why? Why push me that hard if you know I couldn't do it?"

"Because I knew you _could_ do it. You managed to project, didn't you?" he asked, finally looking up.

"And nearly put myself in a comma."

"Haven't I said before? Your magic is a muscle. You must exercise it just as much as your body, if not harder. You'll get stronger and be able to push yourself farther. . . . You should rest. I will see you tomorrow, same time as always."

Loki went back to his book, seemingly forgetting that Sophia was still there. She watched him a bit longer, before she huffed and turned on her heel.

"Sigrid."

Sophia stopped, turning to face Loki with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

The man still hadn't looked up from his book, though she supposed he didn't need to; he knew he had her. "It was a name I felt, when our magic was merged."

"You read my mind."

"You weren't exactly closed off."

Sophia took a deep breath. "It's a name I found in one of my Trond's journals. I think he meant it for me, though I don't think he ever knew I existed; I think it was more wishful thinking. . . . I don't know what it means, if anything."

Loki met her gaze again, smirking. "It means "marvelous victory". I suppose even your father knew you would be stronger than you think you are. Tomorrow, we'll try to push farther."

"Even if I pass out again?"

"Until you don't."

* * *

 **Day 57**

Sophia walked slowly down the rainbow bridge, looking over the edge into the water below. She could hear the waves lapping against the pillars, could feel the breeze against her skin. She stood back as a couple of Einhenjar galloped past her on large horses, headed for the Bifrost dome, probably going off to help Thor.

They barely noticed her.

"Come back."

The voice whispered across her.

The world around her disappeared.

Sophia opened her eyes, slumping forward. She felt lightheaded but not as if she were going to pass out. Loki sat across from her still, hands in his lap, his gaze contemplative. Leaning back on her hands, Sophia tried to reconnect with the world, the _real_ world or the plane that they lived on. She squeezed the strands of the carpet through her fingers (she had been very grateful when Loki suggested moving this part of their practice to her room, just in case she passed out again), and took a breath before she felt ready to be present again. "I don't think I like this very much."

"Where did you go this time?" The two of them had been working on getting farther and farther away from her body, starting with her bedroom and then hallway, to other hallways further down and so on.

"The rainbow bridge," she told him, pulling on one of her loose locs. "How far have you been able to go?"

Loki (the cocky bastard) smirked at her; it was a look she was become very accustomed to. "I once traveled to Midgard."

"Hmm." Sophia moved to stand up, trying to hide her smile. "I don't believe you."

The shock on Loki's face was worth it.

* * *

 **A/n: Looks like someone's becoming closer, aren't they? Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


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